


Paths we Walk

by TiffanyF



Category: The Avengers (2012), X-Men (Movies)
Genre: AU, M/M, ooc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-06
Updated: 2015-05-15
Packaged: 2017-12-10 13:24:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 137
Words: 145,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/786504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiffanyF/pseuds/TiffanyF
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Events in the past impact the present and the future, even if not everyone is aware of it. Something happened during the War that will change Tony's life forever.</p>
<p>Mentions of previous rape, current day rape, PTSD. healing, self-esteem issues, and other health problems.</p>
<p>Don't own, don't claim, no money made here.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Only two people knew Clint Barton. Everyone else knew Hawkeye. Barton held so much of himself back, he didn't trust easily and it had taken both Natasha and Coulson years to break past the Hawkeye persona to find the true Clint Barton buried underneath. They both understood why he did it, why he felt he had to hide himself away, and never questioned him on it. When the team moved into Avengers Tower after the battle, when everyone was mostly healed and Fury wanted them all back in one place to train and get to know each other, Hawkeye was the one who was always at the back of everything. He learned the vent systems, found the weak points and brought them to Tony's attention via Coulson. Barton wanted to make their home safer, but didn't want anyone to know exactly what he was doing. He watched each of his new team when they were in common areas of the building, and tried to see who they were. Coulson was the one who asked Tony if it would be possible to put high platforms in the meeting room and also the common room. He knew Barton got migraines if he had to sit close to televisions or large monitors of any kind, and would be able to see perfectly well from nearer the ceiling. Tony gave him odd looks, but had them installed. Tony was the only one of the Avengers to notice Barton appeared more for movie night after the platforms were done. 

Tony understood hiding parts of yourself away and asked JARVIS to let him know, quietly, when Barton was in the vents around the lab. Tony didn't mind having their sniper in the vents, it actually made sense. He'd wondered how Coulson knew there were weak spots in the vent system, but Agent had a poker face that could not be beat - it honestly couldn't, they'd banned him from poker nights - and he refused to answer questions. When JARVIS flashed the message that Barton was watching the lab, Tony turned his music down and talked. He didn't talk about anything important, not at first, but he knew Barton was listening. The day Barton appeared on a table in the back of the lab, scratching Dummy behind his primary joint, Tony knew there had been a break-through of some sort. He nodded at Barton and went back to what he was doing, talking the whole time about plans he would like to use for new arrows, if Barton wanted. He found the specs for Barton's bow in the workshop the next day. 

Barton also took the time to talk with JARVIS, find out as much as he could about the AI and tried to make friends with him. Barton wasn't too happy to have his floor monitored constantly, it made him feel slightly paranoid about his movements around the building, but JARVIS seemed to realize this, and assured Barton that he would never tell anyone other than Tony about Barton's watching from the vents and his platforms. JARVIS was probably the closest thing to a new friend Barton had in the tower, not counting the slowly developing relationship with Tony. Barton could tell that Tony was making an effort to peel back the Hawkeye layer and find the man beneath, and he found he wasn't completely opposed to the idea. He listened to everything Tony said, learned about the tortures Tony underwent when he was captured, how there were things he couldn't do even after so much time passed, and he wondered if he ever would be able to again. There wasn't any talk of keeping it secret, Barton could tell that the topic bothered Tony, and he slowly started to leave hints to his own past for the genius to find. It was Barton's way of telling his story, of letting people in, and Tony guarded every piece as if it was buried treasure. 

Then Steve Rogers happened. Barton went to the lab vents one night when he couldn't sleep, and Coulson was away from the Tower on business, hoping to be able to hear Tony talk for a while, and found Rogers in the lab. Barton whispered to JARVIS not to let Tony know he was there, he didn't want Rogers to know how he got around the Tower, and lay quietly, listening. 

"Come on, Tony, it'll be fun," Steve was saying. 

"Yeah, no, Cap," Tony replied. "I've got too much going on right now to think about going out to dinner any time soon. Thanks for the thought and all that, but I've got four orders back-logged here." 

"Tony, you have to eat," Steve sighed. "The world isn't going to end if you go out for dinner for an hour. I'd like to spend some time with you, alone. Without worrying about the team breaking in on us." 

That was new, Barton thought. He knew that Tony and Coulson had slept together a couple of times, had even watched once through his sniper scope. It wasn't love on either side, Barton hoped he held Coulson's heart, but they had talked about it and, while Barton wasn’t fine with Coulson sleeping with others as long as he knew about it before hand, he was able to pretend he was. It’s what he thought Coulson wanted, and Barton would do whatever he could to keep the man in his life. Coulson even suggested bringing Barton in for a threesome with Tony, but Barton shied away from sleeping with strangers unless it was for an op. Even then, he did everything he could to keep the people from touching him and ended the op as soon as he had the information needed. He didn't think Tony would understand the knife under the pillow. Now that he'd gotten to know Tony a little more, he'd been thinking about it. Barton could see the attraction there, thought maybe it could be good between the three of them, if Tony was willing, but Steve Rogers threw a dent in the plans. Who would have thought he'd try for Tony Stark. 

"Not happening, Cap," Tony said. "If that's all, I hate to be rude, but I've got to get this done and it's something I really need to focus on, and having you yapping at me isn't exactly relaxing." 

"I'm not giving up on this, Tony," Steve said. 

Tony sighed when the door to the lab hissed shut behind Rogers. "Well, that wasn't awkward or expected, huh, Dummy," he said. He looked up at the ceiling. "You planning to come down any time tonight?" 

Barton appeared on his favorite table silently. "JARVIS didn't tell you, how'd you know I was there?" 

"I've learned what it feels like when you're around, Legolas," Tony smiled. "What'd you think of Cap being all alpha male and aggressive there?" 

"It's out of character for him," Barton said. "You think he's serious?" 

"I think he's serious about wanting to get me to eat, yes," Tony said. He picked up his coffee mug and glared at it when he realized it was empty. "I remember to eat, most of the time. I'm not going to fade away and die down here. Not with you watching over me." 

"Do you want me to watch him?" Barton asked softly. 

"Nah, he's just a kid with a crush," Tony replied. "Not my type and way too innocent. He's just taking his role as leader of the team way too seriously. Now, I've been looking at bows and wanted to get your opinion on a new, longer range weapon for you to have out in the field. Feel up to doing some draw tests for JARVIS?" 

"Sure," Barton said.  
** 

Barton knew that he should tell Coulson what he'd seen and heard down in the lab, but he didn't know how to tell his partner that his hero was acting freaky. Tony might have been willing to dismiss it as a kid with a crush, but Barton couldn't. He'd honed his instincts and they were telling him that Rogers needed to be watched. JARVIS helped, seeming to enjoy having a new task to break up the somewhat boring routine in the Tower. It was never really boring, it couldn't be with Thor in the group, but the days seemed to pass in the same blur of meeting, food, workouts, free time, battle, debrief, food, and sleep. Barton spent all his free time watching Rogers, trying to see what was going on there, what he was planning, but only found plans for dates with Tony. Actual dates. Things that Tony wouldn't like, Barton knew that, but it was pretty obvious that Rogers wanted to spend all his free time with Tony and was getting frustrated by the constant stops Tony was putting into place. He was in his nest in the common room, reading over Rogers' latest plan for a date - complements of JARVIS - when he heard Coulson's voice in the hallway.

"Hawkeye,report." 

Barton grinned, stashed the pad in a hole he'd made in the wall and slid down the rope he kept to get to the ground quickly. "What's up, boss?" he asked. 

"You've got an op," Coulson said. "We're needed at base for specs and deployment." 

"What about the Avengers, sir?" he asked. 

"They'll be fine, Fury has assigned a sniper until we get back," Coulson replied. "Grab your kit, Barton. We need to move." 

"Yes sir, I'll be ready in five." 

Coulson smiled fondly. "Car's in the garage. Meet me there." 

Barton nodded and tugged the rope, not wanting anyone to be able to climb up into his nest while he was gone, and carried it with him to his floor. He kept a bag ready for deployment, never knowing when SHIELD would need him for an assignment, and grabbed it along with his suit and gear. Slipping an earpiece in, he switched to the frequency he knew Coulson would be monitoring. "What weapons should I bring along?" 

"Whatever you need," Coulson replied. 

"Two minute delay," Barton said. "I have to retrieve my bow from the lab." He shifted the heavier bag onto his shoulder and walked out into the hall, heading towards Tony's lab. 

"You've been letting Stark work on your bow?" Coulson asked. "Glad to see you making friends, Barton." 

"He's working on a longer range weapon for me, sir," Barton replied. He closed his eyes for a minute when he caught sight of Rogers in the lab, then walked in, all business. "Stark, I need my bow." 

"Going out to have fun without us again, Hawkeye?" Stark asked, noticing the tightness around his friend's eyes. "It's on the scanning table where you left it. Dummy's been standing guard for you, no one's touched it." 

Barton nodded and went to the table near his normal perch. "Thanks, Dummy," he whispered, picking up his bow. He knelt down to pack it in its case. 

"Where are you going?" Steve asked. 

"No idea," Barton replied. He locked the case and stood. "Stark, Captain." 

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do out there," Tony called, smile in his voice. 

"That leaves me wide open then," Barton said, slipping into his normal Hawkeye banter mode. "There's so much that you'll do, Stark, that I think I'm safe." 

"Bring me back something cool," Tony called just before the doors shut behind Barton. Barton nodded and headed back towards the elevator. "JARVIS, will you keep an eye on things for me, please?" he asked softly, once he was alone. 

"Of course, sir," JARVIS replied. "I shall have a full report for you upon your return." 

"Thanks, JARVIS." Barton hurried over to the car where Coulson was waiting and stowed his gear before slipping into the passenger seat. "Ready to go, Phil." 

"What was that all about, Clint?" Coulson asked as they pulled out into traffic. 

"What?" 

"JARVIS keeping an eye on things for you. Are you still worried about the security of the Tower?" 

"It's something else, Phil. Just instinct at this point." 

"Tell me?" 

"Order?" 

"No, just worried," Coulson said. 

Barton sighed and looked out the window. "I'm worried about Tony," he finally said. 

"Tony?" 

"We've been talking, Phil," Barton said. "He was willing to open up and tell me some secrets and it seemed only fair to trust him with a few of my own. He's not to the same level as you and Nat, he may never be, but he's a friend." 

"You need more friends, Clint. I'm just happy to see you willing to open yourself up a little," Coulson said with a small smile. "Does this also mean you've been thinking about my idea?" 

"Yes, actually, but there's a snag." 

"What? I know Tony would be willing. I've actually asked him about it. He didn't like the idea of a stranger any more than you did, he's still too tense after his kidnapping, but he said if it was someone I trusted, then he'd be willing if he had a chance to get to know them." Coulson smiled. "I think that's one reason he was so keen to get the cube back from Loki. Get the cube, he could reverse what happened to you and bring you home again. The man has a heart, he just keeps it hidden way too well. He knew that I was anxious about you." 

Barton slid a hand over and tangled his fingers with Coulson's free hand. "You guys got me back," he said softly. "I know you'll always come after me, you or Nat." 

"Yep," Coulson grinned. He squeezed Barton's hand and rested them on his leg. "So what's the snag?" 

"Cap has taken an unhealthy interest in dating Tony," Barton said. "I mean like almost stalking him, Phil. JARVIS and I have been keeping an eye on things, but I'm worried. Tony's brushed it off as a crush and isn't taking this seriously. I think it needs to be." 

"Why didn't you mention anything before?" 

"I didn't know how." 

"Clint, you know I'll always listen to you, right?" Coulson pulled into the garage SHIELD used as a front and headed up to the level for senior agents. "No matter what you want to talk with me about, I'll always listen." 

"Even if I'm telling you I think Captain America might be planning to attack one of his team?" 

"Even then because you have outstanding instincts and wouldn't say something like that without a damn good reason to," Coulson said. He parked and pulled Barton over for a kiss. "You are an amazing man, Clint, and I trust you more than I trust anyone else. You know that, right?" 

Barton looked down and nodded. "This is why I want JARVIS to keep an eye on Tony for me while I'm gone," he said. "I've been careful, Cap doesn't know how close Tony and I are, unless Tony said something, which I don't think he would. I just hope I'm wrong, Phil. You know what Tony's been through, he told me he filled you in. I think having someone he trusts turn on him might destroy him, and there may not be enough pieces left to put him back together." 

"Want me to have Natasha keep an eye on things too?" 

"No, she's good, but she doesn't know how to hide as well as I do," Barton said. "Tony doesn't trust her. She wouldn't be able to get close enough to watch. Not this time." 

"Okay, it's your call. Grab your gear, we need to get to briefing." 

"Do you have any idea where we're heading?" 

"Middle East is the best Fury would do over the phone," Coulson said. He picked up one of the bags with a smile. "Let's go see what he has for us."


	2. Chapter 2

"So you finally got out in the sun," Tony commented when Barton arrived back at the Tower after being gone for two weeks. 

"Yeah, spent the whole time lying on the beach," Barton replied. "It was great. No stress at all." 

"You got tan lines?" Tony asked with a smirk. 

"Tony!" Steve protested, sputtering. He'd just taken a sip of something and it went down wrong. Barton tried not to feel smug about that. 

"No tan lines at all," he said softly, grinning. 

Tony laughed. "It's good to have you back, Hawkeye. I've missed your snark," he said. "Come on, I finished a couple of prototypes while you were gone, let's go look at them." 

"Cool," Barton said. He noticed immediately when Rogers fell into step behind them. With a sigh, he flipped his ear piece, which he hadn't taken out after the mission, to the channel he usually talked to JARVIS on. He knew the AI would pick up the signal and fill him in. 

"Captain Rogers has not allowed Mr. Stark out of his view since your departure, Agent Barton," JARVIS said. "He spends all his time in the lab, when he is not in the gym or eating, and Mr. Stark seems to be choosing to either ignore him or talks science until the Captain asks if they can listen to music instead. There have been no inappropriate touches between them, but I do not like the gaze Captain Rogers directs at Mr. Stark when he's not looking. Were I human, I would say it makes me very uncomfortable." 

Barton nodded and purposely bounced off the wall, to make it look like he was trying to stay awake. "Sorry, Stark," he said with a fake yawn. "Time changes are a bitch." 

"Do you want to hold off until tomorrow?" Tony asked. "We can totally do this after you've slept. I don't want you blowing up anything on accident. That's my job." 

"Nah, I'm good. I have to get back on schedule somehow. If I nap now, I'll be up all night," Barton said. "Besides, I want to see what you've come up with. You talk a good game, but I want to see if you can actually put out for me." 

Tony started laughing, half at the tease and half at the choked noise from behind them. "For you, Hawkeye, I'll always put out," he said, leading the way into the lab. "I've got bows and arrows, what do you want to look at first?" 

"Show me the arrows," Barton said. "I'm assuming they can be used with my current bow, yes?" 

"I can wire them in easily enough, yes," Tony said. He moved some papers off to the side and picked up four arrows. "I'm really proud of these, Hawkeye. I upped the explosive power on this one, but added in a better time delay and the receiver will work at a farther range than the one you have now. That's the only one I duplicated, the others are all new." 

Barton put down the exploding arrow, knowing he'd have to be outside to test it and made a note to ask Coulson if they could go to the training base SHIELD had up north for a day or two. "These have fixed tips on them, Stark. That's not going to work." 

"I thought you could have a smaller, secondary quiver for these guys," Tony said. "I know they're not in keeping with your current system, and I'm not even going to guess how long it took for you to get that created by SHIELD, given how slow they are on most things, but I thought they'd be handy in the field. Supersonic whistle in this one, good for knocking people out if we need to, without the whole danger of them trying to sue for us hitting them with unknown chemicals. They'll have a hell of a headache when they wake up, but that's their fault for doing bad things and fighting us. This one is a flash/bang arrow. I know you carry a flare arrow sometimes, but this one is more in keeping with what the military and police are using to control crowds. That one is a smoke bomb arrow. I debated putting a knockout gas in the smoke, but decided that it'd probably get me in trouble with Fury, but it'll be easy enough to work something up if you want me to." 

"The balance is off in this one," Barton said, holding up the whistle arrow. "You've got it too heavy to the front, Stark. Do you know what that'll do to my shooting?" 

"So shoot higher," Rogers said from off to the side. "I would think an expert marksman would be able to adjust for any problems in the field." 

Barton didn't even look over. He picked up a bolt and threw it over his shoulder, trying not to grin when he heard the ceramic break and Rogers' curse when hot coffee spilled over his hand. "What other materials do you have that you could make the tip out of without losing the effect, Stark?" he asked. 

"Make me a list and we'll play," Tony replied. "Dummy, grab a rag, would you? No, not the fire extinguisher. I've talked to you about that. You are not to use that unless I specifically hand it to you. A rag. Yes, thank you. That." He rolled his eyes at Barton. "I let him work fire suppression a couple of times and he fell in love with the fire extinguisher. It's a problem." 

"I'll get you a list, Stark," Barton said. "What about the bows?" 

** 

When he left the lab an hour later, Barton went to his floor and showered. Then he slipped on his standard issue SHIELD uniform, checked the pockets of the pants and slipped into the vent system. "Hey JARVIS, what do you think Captain Rogers has against me?" he asked softly, sitting just above his room. 

"You are taking Mr. Stark's attention away from him," JARVIS replied. "I have to tell you, Clint, that Mr. Stark is more relaxed now that you are back in residence than he's been since you were called away on assignment. He tried to find out where you were, but Director Fury found out and took him to task." 

"I was in deep, but I was fine," Barton said. He settled his earpiece and started forward towards the lab. "Coulson was with me, and he's the best handler to have in the field. I probably should've told Tony that, maybe he wouldn't have worried as much." 

"I believe you are one of the rare people in this world that Mr. Stark considers a friend," JARVIS said. "Making friends is never something he's done easily." 

"It's because people are scared of his genius," Barton said. "I work to keep people away from me, JARVIS. I let them see Hawkeye, never Clint. Tony's the first one in years I've allowed past my outside persona." 

"Lab, now," JARVIS said suddenly. Barton didn't ask questions. He slid through the changes he'd made to the vent, slides and ladders allowing him to move without anyone knowing he was there, and came out directly over his table. One glance was enough to show why JARVIS was, for an AI, panicking. Barton didn't even hesitate. He dropped out of the ceiling, picked up his bow, which was on his table, grabbed one of the experimental arrows and had it drawn all within one breath. "Freeze, Rogers," he said, his voice cold. 

Rogers froze from his position over Tony and laughed. "You wouldn't shoot me," he said, thrusting forward again. 

Barton released, the arrow lodging in Rogers' shoulder and forcing him back. Barton had another ready before Rogers seemed to realize what happened. "Next one goes into your eye. Think your super-soldier powers will bring you back from that?" he asked. "JARVIS, get Coulson and Natasha down here, now. No one else. Just them." 

"Yes, sir," JARVIS said. 

"Over there, Rogers, now," Barton ordered, when he saw that the man had pulled out of Tony and was crouched on the floor. "Don't even think about trying to jump me. Last arrow was a simple tip. This one will blow you to pieces. Move." He tracked Rogers' movement over against the wall, away from the tables and tools. "You move, you blow. It's that simple." 

"Hawkeye, what's....Steve?" 

"Natasha, I need restraints, water, bandages, and probably sutures," Barton said. 

The Black Widow looked over and saw Tony. Her face went from puzzled to cold and she took a step towards Rogers. "You did this?" she asked. "Captain America hid such a black heart under his vest. You and I will talk, Rogers, and you will not enjoy it." 

"Nat, get him out of here," Coulson ordered, walking into the room. "Get Dr. Banner to take that arrow out and then hold him until I'm done here. Agent Barton, stand down." 

"Not until he's gone," Barton said. 

"I've got him, Hawkeye," Natasha said. "He moves wrong, I break his neck. That's simple enough, isn't it, Captain?" 

"Go, Natasha," Coulson snapped. 

The door hadn't even whispered shut behind the pair before Barton lowered the bow and had his knife out, cutting Tony free of the duct tape that was holding him to two tables. "How bad is it, Phil?" he whispered. "We can't take him to medical or a hospital. There would be too many people talking and it would kill him." 

"He's bad, but not so bad that I can't patch him up," Coulson said. "Just like I did you, Clint. I need you to get him free of the tape and check him for other injuries while I'm working. Can you do that?" 

"Yeah," Barton whispered. "Phil, I'm going to have to shave him to get the tape off his mouth. It'll hurt too bad to pull it off." 

"Do what you have to," Coulson said. "Is he home?" 

Barton leaned over Tony's face slowly and pinched his cheek. "Tony, you in there?" he asked. "Come on, Tony, blink for me if you're there." He waited and then shook his head. "He's gone."


	3. Chapter 3

Coulson wasn't a medic, but working with Clint Barton meant he'd learned enough to patch up almost any sort of injury that didn't require an organ transplant or major invasive surgery. It also meant that he'd patched Barton up after an undercover op went bad and the mark had raped him. He used that training to slowly repair the tears to Tony's rear while Barton slowly and almost lovingly removed the duct tape from Tony's wrists, ankles and, finally, face. Tony's goatee was so much a part of him that Barton started to tear up when he was slowly shaving it off, to save Tony the pain of having hair ripped out. "He can grow it back, Clint," Coulson said softly, focusing on what he was doing. "We won't let this destroy him." 

"How bad do you think it's going to be?" Barton asked. "I think Tony's deep in his own mind, Phil. Getting him back to us is one thing, but he's going to be wounded worse than he'll let on. How bad do you think it's really going to be for him?" 

"Tony's strong, but I agree that this might be enough to break him," Coulson said. "I'm going to have to report this to Director Fury, let him know that we're suspending the Initiative until the investigation is complete. While that's happening, I want you to take Tony to England and our safe house there. Leave Rogers to me and Nat. Right now you're the best one, probably the only one who can bring Tony back and help him through what's happened to him." 

Barton put the last of the duct tape on the floor and wiped his knife clean before slipping it back in its hiding place. "I'll need a jet," he said. "I'm not taking Tony's, it'll call too much attention to what we're doing, and I don't want anyone else to know about this. Director Fury won't tell anyone, I know that, but agents talk. Just me and Tony. Have a car waiting for us at the field and I'll secure the jet until Fury can have it recovered." 

"What about taking him in a copter and having Hill fly you?" Coulson asked. "You know she won't say anything." 

"If it's a copter, have Nat take us," Barton replied. He settled Tony's head in his lap and started to slowly run his fingers through the other man's hair. "She's qualified on the standard and can drop us at the safe house without anyone wondering about it." 

"Okay, I'll get her up to the helicarrier and back in a copter tonight," Coulson said. "You know the drill, Barton. IV fluids until he wakes up and then liquid diet until he's healed up. Just like we did for you." 

"I think Tony took more damage than I did," Barton said softly. 

"He did, but he'll heal," Coulson said. He leaned over and kissed Tony's forehead softly and then kissed Barton. "Do what you need to do to help him heal. You know I don't mind." 

"Don't see that happening," Barton said. "I'll get him ready to go, Phil. I've got an earpiece in, let me know when to bring him up. We'll stay here for now. JARVIS will keep the others out." 

"Be safe, Clint," Coulson said. "Be ready for anything." 

"I always am."   
** 

Coulson waited until the three people he cared about the most were in the air, and then he went to his floor and called the director on their secure line. "We have a problem, sir," he said. 

"Does this problem have to do with why you took a helicopter from base and we are now missing two of our best agents, Phil?" Fury asked, leaning forward in his chair. 

"Yes, sir," Coulson said. "It's also why I've had to suspend the Avengers Initiative until further notice." Fury studied him closely. "I know you wouldn't do something like that, without talking to me first, without a damn good reason, Phil," he finally said. "So why don't you tell me what the hell is going on here?" 

"There's no easy way to say this, Nick," Coulson sighed. "Captain Rogers attacked Tony Stark and raped him. He was found by Agent Barton and stopped, but the damage was done. Stark is catatonic and Barton is shell-shocked." 

There were a few minutes of creative swearing in several different languages, causing Coulson to wince a few times, but he knew that Fury would get the shock out of his system and be rational again when he was done. It was one reason he trusted Nick Fury with his life - as he had proven during the fiasco with Loki. "Give me Barton's status report first." 

"Sir, you know that he never lets anyone close to him. He plays a character, Hawkeye, and only two people truly know Clint Barton," Coulson said. "That changed when he moved into the Tower and started to take an interest in the security of the vent system. Stark, somehow, realized it was Barton and had JARVIS alert him whenever Barton was in the vents over the lab. He started talking to Barton, telling him random things for days, until Barton broke cover and went into the lab to talk. They've become friends, sir." 

"You know this how?" 

"Barton let Stark keep his bow in the lab to work on it, and try to make a new one from the basic design," Coulson said. 

"Damn, I thought he slept with that bow," Fury said. "I'm guessing while they were making friends, he and JARVIS also started getting along?" 

"JARVIS?" Coulson said. 

"Indeed, Director Fury," JARVIS said. "I have found Agent Barton to be a good friend to both myself and Mr. Stark. He realized there was something wrong with the interactions between Captain Rogers and Mr. Stark and, when Mr. Stark said it was nothing, continued to watch and stand guard. The attack is not Agent Barton's fault. Captain Rogers would have merely awaited another opportunity had one not presented today. Additionally, while he was on assignment for SHIELD, Agent Barton asked me to keep him notified of any problems between Captain Rogers and Mr. Stark. I believe he planned to notify Agent Romanov should I have raised an alarm." 

"So you've sent Barton to take care of Stark?" Fury asked Coulson. "With Romanov as a guard." 

"No sir, Natasha is coming back here to help me. Barton wanted a pilot he trusted, one who wouldn't talk about who he'd been carrying," Coulson said. "I agreed with him. The last thing we need is for news like this to get out around base. Think about it, how many people look up to Captain Rogers?" 

"Including you." 

"No sir, not anymore," Coulson said. "Not after seeing him covered in Tony's blood and still smiling. Right now I would cheerfully snap his neck. Dr. Banner has patched him up and I was going to start the interrogation after I notified you." 

"Patched him up?" Fury asked. 

"Agent Barton ordered Captain Rogers to stop and pull back," JARVIS said. "Captain Rogers refused. The shot was to the shoulder with an arrow that had no special point on it. Captain Rogers will heal." 

"You sound angry, JARVIS," Fury commented. 

"I am, Director." 

"I guess it's understandable," Fury said. He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "All right, Phil. You'll be the best one to ask the questions. I want it recorded though. JARVIS, you'll do that?" 

"Of course, Director," JARVIS said. "Shall I route the video directly to your computer?" 

"Yes, but I also want to be patched in during the interrogation," Fury said. "You know you can't use violence, Phil. Not this time, no matter how much you may want to." 

"With respect, sir, if Captain Rogers is as insolent to me in the interrogation room as he was to my friends in the lab, I may not be able to follow that direction," Coulson said. "I will, however, leave all weapons outside the room." 

Fury snorted. "Phil, I've seen you use a paperclip as a weapon," he said. "Keep your temper, Agent. I know you can do it when you have to, and you have to. Understand?" 

"Understood, sir. We'll patch you back in once I'm in the interrogation room." 

"I'll be waiting." 

Coulson sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I'll tell you a secret, JARVIS," he said. 

"Sir?" 

"If you'd called me first, and I'd found what Clint did, Rogers wouldn't be alive right now." 

JARVIS was quiet for a moment. "I've long known for your attachment to Agent Barton, Sir, but I had thought your times with Mr. Stark were merely the two of you working through some frustrations with each other," he finally said. "I reasoned incorrectly, did I not?" 

"I don't know how Tony feels about me, JARVIS, but I love him as much as I love Clint," Coulson said. "Nat's like my daughter, don't ever tell her I told you that, but Tony and Clint. They're what I held onto when I was in medical after Loki stabbed me. I didn't know if I was ever going to get them both back safely, but I had to hope. Now I have to hope again." 

"Mr. Stark is stronger than many people give him credit for," JARVIS said. "I feel I am partly to blame as I was unable to determine Captain Rogers' intent before he had Mr. Stark restrained. I called for aid as quickly as I could." 

"You did fine, JARVIS, and you called the best person to help," Coulson said. He stood and headed towards the door. "Clint is probably the only one who wouldn't have killed Captain Rogers on sight. Even with the evidence, I think Director Fury might have killed Barton for that one." 

"You are sure the house you sent them to is secure, Sir?" 

"It is. Clint and I set it up years ago for the two of us," Coulson said. "Only four people know where it is; Fury, me, Clint and Nat. They'll be safer there than anywhere I can think of, even without having you installed." 

"A situation I should like to rectify as soon as possible, Sir." 

"I agree, JARVIS." Coulson paused for a minute and took a deep breath. "All right, patch through to Director Fury and start recording, JARVIS. I don't know what's going to happen in there, but I think having a witness will only help me keep my temper." "Yes, Sir."


	4. Chapter 4

"You sure you'll be okay here?" Natasha asked from the pilot seat. 

"Yeah, there's enough basics to get me through the night and I can go shopping tomorrow early," Barton replied. He settled the backpack and slung his bow's case in behind it. "Keep me posted on what's going on at the Tower, will you?" 

"Of course. Bring him back to us, Clint. The world won't be right without Tony Stark in it." 

"I'll do my best," Barton said. He picked Tony up carefully and stepped back towards the house. He didn't watch Natasha leave, instead he turned around and walked carefully towards the house that he and Coulson owned. It wasn't much, a small cottage really, a couple of miles out from a village. It was isolated and it was secure, but most of all, it was secret. Barton shifted Tony, not wanting to put the other man down, and entered all the security codes and leaned in for the bio scans before the door clicked open. Having a place out in the middle of nowhere was always risky, but Barton and Coulson made sure that if anyone did break into their private safe house, the place would blow up, literally. They took their safety seriously. Barton carried Tony into his room on the upper floor and set him gently down onto the bed. It wasn't made, but Barton had blankets in the closet and it would be enough for the night. He also had medical supplies in the bathroom and quickly set Tony up on a pair of IVs and tucked him in. "Some people say that I don't talk enough, Tony," he started softly, while he was working. "Other people say that I never shut up. That's Hawkeye that smarts off, talks all the time. You've seen beyond Hawkeye though, haven't you? I don't know if you even want to hear my voice right now, but I know that the few times I've shut down like this, I've always been able to hear Coulson talking to me and it's helped me. Yeah, I've been through this before too, on ops that went bad. When ops where you're under deep cover go wrong, Tony, there's no chance of quick help. There are always agents around, but they're at a distance and it can be impossible for them to get to you in time, so you learn to deal. Coulson has always been there for me, always come for me no matter how long it takes, and I want to make the same promise to you. I'll always come for you, Tony, no matter how long it takes me. I need to know that you'll be there when I get to you, or that you'll come back to me. I'm going to go set up downstairs, make a few lists, but I'll keep talking. The cottage has lousy sound-proofing and you can hear every single noise a mouse makes in this place. I like it though because it's a place that Coulson and I have that's ours. No one else knows about it, no one else ever stays here, and I've never had that before. Never had a place where it's mine because I helped to buy it. Don't get me wrong, I love the Tower and being able to live there, but it's still yours. You let us in and that means so much to me," He checked the blankets and ran his fingers through Tony's hair. "When you're feeling a little better, I'll help you bathe, but you've got to heal up first. I just hope you don't hate me when you wake up, Tony. I've never let anyone this close to me and had them hate me. I don't want you to be the first. Okay, I'm going down to the kitchen now. Like I said, you'll still be able to hear me. I'll be back as quickly as I can, but I need to make up a shopping list. I promise you'll know every move I'm making though. You're not alone here, Tony. You're not alone."   
** 

Coulson took a deep breath before he pushed the door open and walked into the meeting room where Natasha had Rogers secured. "Dr. Banner, thank you for patching him up," Coulson said. "For your safety, as well as the safety of the Tower, I think it's best that you don't stay for this." 

"Natasha told me that Steve attacked Tony," Bruce said. "She wouldn't give me any details, but I can infer it must have been bad for Clint to shoot Steve." 

"It was bad," Coulson said. "Leave it at that. Please, trust me on this. I know you have an understanding with the Other Guy, but I don't think he wants to hear this, and I don't want to risk losing my prisoner." 

Banner nodded. "I'll be in my lab if you need me again," he said. "Send Natasha, the Other Guy likes her." 

"I will." Coulson shut the door and looked towards the monitor at the front of the room. "Room is secure, sir," he said to Fury. 

"Good, thank you," Fury said. "Steve Rogers, it is my understanding that you assaulted and raped Tony Stark earlier today. What do you have to say to these charges?" 

"He's mine, sir," Rogers replied. 

"You want to try that again?" Fury asked. 

"He's mine. Howard and I were playing cards one night before I left on a mission and when he lost the hand, he told me that I could have anything of his that I wanted," Rogers said. "We were in a war zone and neither of us had much with us, so he said that the offer would be good after the war, even if he was dead. I never collected because I hadn't seen anything that I thought worth it, until I met Tony." 

Coulson leaned on the table. "What if Tony didn't want you?" he asked softly. 

"That doesn't matter. The debt was there and I found what I wanted for it." 

"It doesn't matter," Coulson said. His voice was low and cold. "You are talking about a human being. A person who has likes and dislikes that should be honored far and above anything else." 

"You're telling me that you don't recognize debts?" Rogers asked. 

"I'm telling you that no matter what Howard Stark thought about his son, there is no way in hell that he would have let you take Tony to pay off some stupid debt from the middle of a war zone," Coulson replied. "Human beings are not for sale, Rogers. Not if I have anything to say about it." 

"Coulson," Fury said softly. 

"With respect, Director, you've seen how I treat pimps and brothels," Coulson pointed out. 

Any other man would have winced. Fury just nodded. He knew that Coulson, Barton and Romanov often paid fairly final visits to brothels and made their opinions very clear. SHIELD had relocated a number of children who were rescued by the trio, and Fury approved. "I have to agree with Agent Coulson, Rogers," he said. "Human beings are not property. No matter what Howard told you that night, Tony wasn't alive and therefore wouldn't have been included in the wager. You're the one who twisted it all around until you found an excuse for your actions." 

"I asked Tony out on a date, trying to do the right thing," Rogers said. "He wouldn't go out with me, so I had to figure out another way to lay claim to him. I would have managed it too, if Barton hadn't shown up." 

"Agent Barton went beyond what I would have expected of an agent of SHIELD, let alone a decent human being," Coulson said. "Had it been me who arrived first, you would have been dead before you hit the ground." 

"Coulson," Fury said. 

"I am stating a fact, sir," Coulson said. "JARVIS was quite correct to summon Agent Barton and allow him to handle the situation; however, I am the one who repaired the damage to Tony Stark's anal passage and have to state that it is probably one of the worst instances of assault I have seen in my life. We probably should have taken Tony to the hospital." 

"So why didn't you?" Rogers asked. "If that's what you should have done, why didn't you do that, since you're the one talking about being decent and all." 

"Subjecting Tony to any form of professional medical care would have killed him," Coulson said. "If you had bothered to read the files prepared for you, Rogers, you would have known that Tony Stark was kidnapped and tortured for three months while he was overseas. Among those tortures was rape, and it's something that Tony has never fully recovered from. A second assault, one in his lab, a place where he feels safe, would be enough to completely destroy him. Having anyone outside those he trusts fully know what happened to him would kill him." 

Fury leaned forward. "I think he did read the files, Coulson," he said. "I think that's where he got the idea to attack Tony from. I mean, we are talking about Captain America here. A man so good that the super soldier program worked and turned him into the so-called perfect human being. Most people would argue that he doesn't have a black mark on his soul." 

"Until today, Director, I would have been one of them," Coulson said. "The question is, what are we going to do with him?" 

"Put him in the cell Tony built for Dr. Banner," Fury sighed. "I need some time to think about this, and knowing that he's secure will help me a lot. Agent Romanov." 

"Sir?" Natasha appeared in the doorway. 

"You're to stand guard over Steve Rogers until such time as I make a decision as to his fate," Fury said. "JARVIS, will you help her with her task?" 

"Yes, Director Fury," JARVIS said. "Might I just add that Dr. Banner has made some adjustments to his cell and given me full control of them. Should any escape attempt be made, I will employ these adjustments at my own discretion." 

Coulson, who had seen the paperwork on the changes, nodded. "As you will, JARVIS," he said. "Agent Romanov, get him out of here." 

Fury waited until the door was shut before he leaned back in his chair. "How the hell did she get back here so fast?" he asked. 

"I've learned it's better not to ask," Coulson said. "Sir, what are you going to do?" 

"I don't know, Phil. I really don't. We can't kill him, too many people would start asking questions, but if we don't punish him, he'll think he can get away with taking Tony as his property," Fury said. "He could also talk to the wrong people and let this information out. What do you think would happen to Stark's business if anyone found out what his father did?" 

"We also can't keep him locked up forever," Coulson sighed. "This is a mess, sir." 

"It is, but you're one of the best I have at clearing up messes, Phil. I'm sure you'll be able to think of a few recommendations for me given time." 

"Free reign?" 

"To suggest, yes; but you're not to take action without my direct approval," Fury said. "Not unless Rogers is attempting to escape. Understand?" 

"Yes, sir," Coulson said. "I'll see what I can come up with." 

"The sooner the better. I don't want Stark coming home and finding that we haven't taken care of the situation while he's gone." 

"With respect, Nick; he won't be home any time soon. You'd better call Pepper and let her know. Tell her he's working on a project for SHIELD and can't be disturbed for anything for a month," Coulson said. "Tony will pitch a fit when he finds out, but he wouldn't have made her CEO if he didn't trust her." 

"I'll think of something," Fury said. "Get to work, we've got a lot to do." 

"Sir."


	5. Chapter 5

Barton made a quick trip into the village to buy what he could and order a bunch of other stuff. He and Coulson kept the cottage well-stocked with foods that wouldn't spoil, and he was fine eating them, but knew that Tony would need fruits and soups when he woke up and was recovering. He also ordered a couple of bottles of baby oil, something the local didn't keep in stock, so he could massage Tony's arms and legs to keep the muscles in as healthy a condition as possible. There was no way to know how long Tony would be catatonic, how long he would have to be on bed rest, or what he would want to do when he woke up, but Barton wanted to be ready for several months of isolation. He wasn't sure how Coulson would clear that with Fury, or what would happen with Tony's company, but he knew how hard it could be to recover from torture. How hard it was to fight memories when someone tortured you the same way for a second time. 

As soon as he was back in the cottage and it was secure behind him, he went up to the bedroom to check on Tony. It wasn't easy to move him around with the IVs in, even with the flexible needles he'd used, but he didn't want to worry about bed sores. Barton had grabbed some of Coulson's pillows and used them to help prop Tony into different positions every few hours, always mindful of the sutures and other injuries. It looked like Tony had some sort of reaction to the adhesive used in duct tape because the skin on his wrists and ankles was red, inflamed and extremely raw in a couple of places. His face wasn't much better, and Barton debated on whether or not shaving Tony every day was a good idea, or if he should just let the beard grow in and let Tony deal with it when he was feeling better. Shaving would irritate the skin more, but Barton knew how uncomfortable it was to wake up with a beard and have to face shaving it off. He didn't trust anyone near him with knives or razors, not even Coulson, so there had been so many ops when he'd had to put up with the itch and wait for his hand, arm, or shoulder to heal enough that he could shave. He finally decided to leave it for a couple of days, to see if the cream he had stocked would help the rash on Tony's face. 

"It's not much of a morning out there, Tony," he started, slowly moving the limp man onto his side. "It's gray and wet and it's not even raining. I think I forgot how damp this part of the world is. Phil told me when we bought the place the reason we were getting it so cheap was because there was rot and mildew in the place. It took us months to get it fixed up. Phil insisted we could do it ourselves, I didn't think we could and insisted on having someone from the village at least come out and look at everything. I had no clue what to do with replacing boards, how to shore up to support the structure while working, or how to dry it out after the mold was removed." He sat down in a chair next to the bed and leaned forward so he could talk softly, not wanting to be loud when he didn't know how far into himself Tony was. "So Phil found this nice old guy in the village with an accent that we could barely understand, but he did construction like a pro. Vince was his name and he didn't even blink at me and Phil buying this place together, but I still maintain that he thought Phil's my dad. All the woodwork you're going to see in the place is Vince's work. Phil and I helped, but he did most of it himself. Even did a little carving for us as a surprise. Wish you could've met him, but he died a couple years ago. Just old age, nothing more. His son is the woodworker in the village now, he came out last time I was here and checked the place over, just to make sure the rot and mold weren't coming back. He's a nice kid, but he's not his dad." 

He picked up the soothing cream he usually used on rashes and skin problems. "I'm going to put some cream on your hands and feet, Tony," Barton said softly. "It's going to feel cold and slimy, but I picked it up in the Far East, can't tell you where, it's still classified and you won't be able to find it. I wasn't in there as Barton or Hawkeye. That's something you probably didn't know about SHIELD, huh?" He picked up Tony's right hand and started to gently massage the cream over the rash. "The Director is the only one who knows where everyone is, most of the time our name isn't on the record. Plausible deniability they call it. Our alias at the time goes on the record, that's how the ops are recorded. Why do you think it looks like SHIELD has so many field agents? Anyway, this cream was recommended to me by a couple of locals when they saw how badly I was rashing from the area. I still don't know what caused the rashes, but the cream helped. I'm hoping it'll help you too. Least it smells good, so I can put it on your face and I don't have to worry about you objecting to a crappy smell when you wake up." He lowered Tony's right hand gently back onto the bed and picked up his left. "I'm no doctor, but these look like they might be burns, not just irritation. Do you have a latex allergy you've never told anyone about? Hell, what's even in the adhesive for duct tape? I've used the stuff for years and never wondered about that. Wonder if maybe google would know. I'll have to check that out when I'm downstairs cooking. Don't suppose I can tempt you out with the promise of food, can I? I bet you'd like coffee more than food. I know when I've been out like this, my stomach is always sick when I wake up. Phil says it's a chemical released by the brain to make you not gorge yourself when your stomach is empty. I say he's full of it, but he makes a mean soup so I don't say it too loud." 

He paused and looked down at the hand he was holding. "Yeah, you've probably figured out Phil and I are together," he said. "Have been for years. You would have gotten a kick out of our reveal, Tony. Fury, for once, had nothing to say about it. I don't think he said anything for two days he was in such shock. I was worried we broke him, but Phil said that was just how he was and not to worry about it too much." Barton laughed softly, put the hand down and moved towards the foot of the bed to work on Tony's ankles and feet. "I can just see what you're thinking right now, you know. We didn't do anything that involved loss of clothes, desks, or anything shocking. I'd been missing on an op. Off-coms and Phil was worried about me. When I made it back to base, Fury was there. To this day I don't know why he was at this mission base, but he was. I walked in, tattered but in one piece except for a sprained wrist from where I landed funny. Phil threw his headset across the room, pushed me up against the wall and kissed me. I maintain he pushed Fury out of the way to get to me, he swears he didn't and that I was seeing things. Phil didn't leave my side after that, he assigned another handler to manage the rest of the clean-up for the op and went with me to medical and my debrief with Fury. I think that's about the point we broke him." Barton ran his hand slowly up Tony's foot, trying for pressure points. "I won't tell you what happened when we got home, but we didn't make it back to base for three days. Natasha's the reason I know Fury wasn't talking, I didn't get to witness it personally." 

"So, yeah, Phil and I are together, but we have a deal in place," Barton continued, switching feet. "It's not an open relationship by standard definition. If there's someone who needs him, can only connect in the bedroom, he'll ask me if it's okay and, if I say yes, he'll sleep with them. That's what happened at your place. I was there, you know. Not in the house, I think you would have known about that, but I was Phil's back-up. When I'm on an op, I don't just have my bow with me. Fury thinks that arrows are a little too much of a calling card, but he'll let me make the call. I had a sniper rifle there with me too and I watched you guys through the scope. He asked me if I wanted to join you guys, said that you'd take a chance to get to know anyone Phil trusts, but I couldn't. I don't like letting my guard down for anything, Tony, and it's hard to find people who understand a need to have weapons in bed with them. Phil understands, he knows why I do a sweep before I go to bed, even if it's in the Tower and JARVIS would have told us about any problems. He knows why I need to have knives hidden in the bed. Yeah, it's not something you need to worry about, they're never going to be in a place where you can get hurt, but they're going to be there." 

Barton put the cream away and wiped his hands off on a towel he'd brought in the night before. With a small sigh, he sat back down in the chair. "I was going to ask you about it, actually," he admitted. "I've gotten to know you a little better since I've been in the lab with you, I thought maybe Phil was right. That we could be good together, but not now. You're going to need time to heal and I don't know how you're going to want to handle this. Last time I was attacked and raped, as soon as I was healed, I pinned Phil to the bed and rode him. He wasn't too happy with me risking re-injury, but understood where I was coming from. Why I needed to be with him again. I guess what I'm trying to say here, Tony, is that I understand. I've been exactly where you are now, and I'll be there to be whatever form of support you need when you wake up. The only thing I'm not going to do is leave you alone to brood." He leaned back in his chair. "Two hour power nap and then I need to change your IV. Do you want me to put on some soft music? I know it's not really your taste, given what I've heard in the lab, but I don't think we need anything with a heavy bass beat right now. Calm and soothing is better when you're sick anyway. Nah, while you're asleep like this, I'm going to leave the music off. I need to be able to hear if anyone comes near the house, and I don't want anything to block sound." 

He settled in the chair a little more and closed his eyes. If SHIELD had prepared him for anything, it was going without sleep, but he knew he needed to nap if he was going to be able to help Tony.


	6. Chapter 6

Over the next three weeks, Barton fell into a routine. He slept two hours out of every day, and knew it was taking a toll on him, but he didn't want to leave Tony alone in the silence of the house longer than that. The rest of the time, he talked or had music playing. While he cooked, cleaned, took care of his weapons, finished reports for Coulson, he was also talking to Tony about random stuff. There was no way to tell how much, if anything, Tony was hearing, but Barton believed that he was listening. The rashes - or burns - cleared up after the first week and that was when Barton started using the baby oil to work Tony's limbs. 

He was in the kitchen debating between chicken and ham for a sandwich when the door opened. "Phil?" 

"Yeah." 

Barton was out of the kitchen and into his lover's arm before the front door was closed behind the other man. "Missed you." 

"I've missed you too," Coulson said. He kept one arm tight around Barton's back and used the other to secure the door. "How's Tony?" 

"Still the same. I've been talking to him, but there's no reaction," Barton said. "He's up in my room if you want to see him. Hungry?" 

"Yeah, meet me up there?" 

"Five minutes." 

Coulson caught his lover and pulled him back in for a soft kiss. "Don't rush, Clint." 

"I'm fine." 

"Clint." 

"No, seriously, I'm fine. Look, steady as a rock." He held out his hands to demonstrate. 

"I've seen you that steady with a bullet in you," Coulson said dryly. "I'm here for a week, Clint. I've got everything as cleared up as it can be without Tony awake, and Fury gave me permission to come and make sure you're sleeping properly." 

Barton sighed. "Those weren't his exact words, were they, sir?" 

"No, they weren't, but I told him I didn't appreciate him living vicariously through us trying to imagine what we do in bed," Coulson said dryly. 

"Okay, yeah, that might have just killed any desire I have for sex for the next year or so," Barton said. He shuddered. "Go on up and see Tony, Phil. I'll bring up lunch." 

Coulson nodded, kissed his lover again and headed towards the stairs. He wanted to have come sooner, but they were still trying to figure out what to do with Steve Rogers long term. Pepper had been the easy one, she said they could have Tony as long as they needed, as long as he'd be able to sign some forms at the end of the next month. It was a slower time for the company and the only thing she was worried about was meetings, which she could handle. With Stark Industries taken care of by one of the more remarkable women they knew, Coulson and Fury turned their attention to Rogers. The short-term solution was the easy one, they kept him in the cell that Banner and Tony helped design for the Hulk, on the off-chance that he took over and no one was able to reason with him. Since joining the Avengers, it seemed like the Hulk found some friends and was a little more willing to listen than he'd been before, but Banner hadn't wanted to risk it. Between the cell, Natasha and JARVIS, Rogers wasn't going anywhere any time soon. 

Slipping into the room Barton claimed as his own, even though he normally spent the night in the larger bed downstairs, Coulson bit his lip at how still the man on the bed was. He didn't know that he'd ever seen Tony so still, not even when they'd slept together. Coulson was going to have to have a talk with his lover, about how his feelings towards Tony had changed, and he only hoped that Barton would really be willing to give it a try. "Hey, Tony," he said softly, sitting down in the chair near the bed. "I hear that you and Clint have been bonding these past few weeks. I hate to break into the party like this, but I wanted to see how you both were doing, and let you know that I've talked to Pepper. We've told her that you're locked away in a lab with a couple of our top techs working on a super-secret project for SHIELD, and she's fine running the company for you right now. It sounds like there's going to be paperwork waiting for you when you get back, whatever your version of paperwork is, but you don't have to worry about the board or stock prices. Hell, if anything, it sounds like Pepper's hoping you'll get some press for working with SHIELD and it'll boost your numbers a little." 

"You came all this way to talk about the stock market, Phil?" Barton asked as he walked into the room, tray in hand. 

"Thought I'd get it out of the way early," Coulson replied. He picked up his plate, it had a green pattern to it, and settled back in his chair. "With how much Tony is usually in the public's eye, we had to think of something to tell them. Research is good because Tony's known for his inventions. It's not something anyone will question while we're here." 

Barton finished changing Tony's IV and slowly rolled him into a new position. "Yeah, you're right. So, how 'bout it, Tony? You think you can make something that will make the board cry with joy? I bet you can, after seeing the things you've invented. Hell, I bet you'd even be able to invent some awesome fun toys if you put your mind to it." 

"Clint." 

"What, I meant like a new type of remote controlled airplane or car," Barton said. He sat on the window seat with his own lunch. "What else has been going on back home?" 

"Natasha's been into the vent network and said that you made changes in there," Coulson said. 

"No fair, the vents are mine." 

"Tony might have something to say about that," Coulson pointed out, "especially about the ladders and slides Nat says are now in there." 

"Those are to help me move around the building faster," Barton said. "No one else was supposed to know about them. JARVIS said it was okay." 

"JARVIS said it was okay?" Coulson asked. 

"He helped me do it," Barton grinned. "I think he likes having someone to talk security protocols with. We debated a twisty slide in there, but I thought it would make me too dizzy if I had to come out of the vents shooting, so we stuck to straight, but I'm open to negotiation on it." 

Coulson just stared at his lover for a long minute. "You're insane," he finally said. 

"You just worked that out?" a weak voice asked. 

"Tony!" 

Coulson forced himself to say in his chair and let Barton be the one to check on Tony. "Hey there, welcome back," Barton said. "Bet you want coffee and cheeseburgers, don't you?" He ran a hand through Tony's hair and smiled down at him softly. "Do you hurt anywhere?" 

"No," Tony said. "Water?" 

"Yep, ready and waiting," Barton said. He picked up a bottle that had been sitting next to the bed for a couple of days and opened it. "You start trying to gulp this down, I'm taking it away." 

"Not up to gulping anything," Tony said. He took the straw and sucked slowly, obviously weak. Barton watched him carefully and pulled it back when Tony had managed about a third of the bottle. "Hey." 

"You haven't had anything in your stomach for weeks, Tony. Give yourself a chance to adjust," Barton said. "You want to sit up, or at least roll over to see your favorite Agent?" 

"Sure." 

Barton rolled Tony onto his back and then moved around to help him up onto his other side. "You've got a couple of IV lines here in your left arm," he said. "I've been keeping it straight, so make sure you don't accidently bend it, okay? We'll pull you off the IVs and other fun stuff later tonight." 

"When did you become a nurse, Barton?" Tony asked. 

"You pick up so many things with SHIELD," Barton replied. "I've even patched Phil up a couple of times." 

"Experiences I didn't enjoy at the time, but his bedside manner is good," Coulson said. "Welcome back, Tony. It's good to see your eyes alive again. How do you feel?" 

"Like I was attacked by a bear," Tony said. "Was I dreaming, or did you really tell me that SHIELD posts reports under your field alias, Barton?" 

"I might have told you something like that, yeah," Barton said. 

"Clint," Coulson sighed, rubbing his nose. 

"What, I needed to explain where I got the cream I was using on his arms," Barton said. "The question still stands, Tony, you got an allergy to latex?" 

"Not that I know about," Tony replied. "How long did it take to heal up?" 

"A week. Your face took longer, but I think there was more irritation there," Barton said. He sat down on the bed next to Tony's feet. "You want to talk about anything now, or would you rather wait?" 

Tony looked at him. "You said you've done this," he said. "How many times?" 

"Three." 

"How do you get over it?" 

Barton looked over at Coulson. "I talk," he said. "Phil makes sure I'm okay while I'm healing up and we talk. He never lets me hold anything back, but he never pushes for more than I want to tell on a given day."

“How do you talk about it?” Tony asked.

“We talk about whatever you want to talk about,” Barton said. “You can pick who you want to talk to, it doesn’t even have to be both of us. Tony, we both understand what it is to be attacked and violated. Neither of us is going to think less of you for this.”

Tony nodded and closed his eyes. “I want to go home,” he said. “Malibu House, not the Tower. I need to have a place I can go to escape and the lab there is my favorite. Can we go to my house?”

“I came by jet,” Coulson said. “The pilot is from London, so he filed for a week off and the jet is here. I can call him and tell him to get another ride home. There’s a landing pad at the Malibu House, isn’t there, Tony?”

“Yeah, but it’s not big enough for a jet,” Tony said. 

“I can put us down on the beach and someone can come collect it later,” Barton offered.

“That would work,” Coulson agreed. “Tony, you just woke up. Are you sure you don’t want to rest here for a day or two and then go to your house? Traveling is hard enough when you’re healthy.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m sure,” Tony said. “It’s too quiet here. I don’t want to hear myself thinking, and quiet isn’t a good buffer for that. Is it okay? Can we go?”

“We can go, Tony,” Barton said. “Why don’t you let Phil help get you ready to go and I’ll head down and prep the jet?”

“Thank you,” Tony whispered.

Barton leaned down and kissed Tony’s cheek softly. “We’re here. You’re not going to be able to drive us away,” he said. “This is your time, Tony. Whatever you need, we’ll do.”

“Within reason,” Coulson added. “You don’t get to hurt yourself, have us hurt you, bar us from the lab or run away, Tony.”

“Sounds alarmingly reasonable,” Tony said.

“Good. Then I know you’ll be trying to break the rules as soon as possible,” Coulson said dryly. “Go prep the jet, Clint. We’ll be out in fifteen.”


	7. Chapter 7

The jet was meant to be flown by two, but Barton knew that Coulson was a reasonable second seat, even if Barton had to do all the work by himself. He settled into his seat with a smile and started up the pre-flight check. Of everything he’d learned at SHIELD, flying was probably his favorite. He liked high places, being up above everyone else, out of crowds. Part of that was because it was easier to spot problems away from groups, part of it was that he didn’t like being touched unless it was on his terms, but mostly it was just the chance to escape the noise of the day and be able to hear himself think. He turned on the comm system and dialed it to Fury’s private channel. “Director, Sir, this is Hawkeye reporting in.”

“Talk to me, Hawkeye,” Fury said a few minutes later.

“Sir, the package is awake and weak. It has requested delivery to the west coast of the United States,” Barton said. “PC and I are planning the delivery, the jet will need pick-up from an undecided location.”

“Understood, Hawkeye. You okay to pilot solo?”

“Yes, sir. PC will stand as second as needed. I’ll contact base with a location for pick-up once we’re landed and settled.”

“Have PC contact me as soon as you’re grounded,” Fury said. “There’s been a development in the case we’re working together.”

“Confirmed, Director,” Barton said. “I’ll be in touch.”

“Good to hear your voice again, Hawkeye,” Fury said. “You and PC have clearance to take as long as needed with the package. Contact when you’re in our airspace.”

“Sir.” Barton opened the back for Coulson. “Package is coming on board.”

“Be safe. Fury out.”

Coulson looked over. “What did the Director have to say?” he asked.

“We’re good to go, cleared to spend as much time with Tony as he needs, and you need to call him once we’re at Tony’s place,” Barton reported. “I’m ready when you are, Phil.”

“Come help me carry things on and secure the house,” Coulson said.

Barton nodded and put his headset on the hook, following Coulson back towards their cottage. “Did you take Tony off the IVs?”

“No, I’ll do that once we’re settled at his house,” Coulson said. “I don’t like how weak he is and want to get some sugar into him while we’re in transit.” He opened the door and headed towards the kitchen. “I thought you’d be better to get Tony dressed and ready for the flight, Clint. I’ll pack up the food that won’t keep and ready the security systems.”

“Got it; meet you outside,” Barton said. He took the stairs two at a time and slipped into his room. “Hey Tony, you want to get dressed for this, or just go like you are?”

“I’m not even sure what I’m wearing,” Tony admitted.

“Sleep pants and one of my t-shirts,” Barton said. “We moved you quickly so I didn’t have a chance to grab any of your stuff.”

“Get me some shoes and I’ll go like this,” Tony said. “Are you bringing blankets?”

“Yep, and there’s a place you can nap,” Barton said. He found Tony’s shoes and knelt down to put them on the other man’s feet. “How do you feel sitting up? Dizzy at all?”

“Not really, but weak,” Tony said. “I don’t know how best to describe it.”

“I’ve been working your muscles as much as I could while you were unconscious,” Barton said. He took the IV bags off the hanger and noted that the other tubing was gone. “Looks like Coulson took out your catheter.”

“He did, and it’s not an experience I want to go through again,” Tony said. “He didn’t want to mess with the IVs yet.”

Barton sat down next to Tony, wrapped an arm around his waist and stood slowly. “Let me know if you start feeling dizzy,” he said. “We’re going to give you some sugar water while we’re in flight, try to bring your blood sugar up a little. I think you’ll be able to start on soup tomorrow though.”

“I really, really just want to forget any of this ever happened,” Tony sighed.

“I know. I’ve thought that myself, even tried to keep it in one time,” Barton said. He started down the stairs slowly. “Coulson didn’t know how badly I was assaulted that time, so he didn’t know that he needed to be pushing me to talk. I just wanted to bury it all as deeply in my mind as I could and move on.”

“What happened?” Tony asked.

“I broke Coulson’s arm in two places,” Barton replied. “We had a long chat afterwards about keeping secrets on ops and how he wasn’t able to help me if he didn’t know the truth. I felt bad enough for breaking his arm, I normally don’t react when he touches me, but the look in his eyes, Tony. It broke my heart. I thought I was going to lose him after that.”

“There’s still things about his past that Clint hasn’t told you, Tony,” Coulson said, joining them in the entryway/living room. 

“I have abandonment issues and serious self-esteem problems,” Barton said. “I’ll tell you more later, if you want, but I really thought I’d screwed up badly enough that Phil didn’t want me anymore. That’s why you can’t hide this away, Tony. No matter how much you want to, it’ll come back at the worst possible moment and then you’ll hurt yourself, or you’ll hurt someone you love. Then you’ll hate yourself more than you think possible.”

“I don’t, I don’t know who to trust now,” Tony said. “How can I trust anyone again?”

Barton helped Tony up the ramp onto the jet and into the seat he’d be using for the flight. “Tony, you trust me and you trust Phil, right?” he asked softly.

“Of course I do,” Tony said. “How, why would you even ask that?”

“Because you can still trust, Tony,” Coulson said. “We’re secure, Clint. You know that Clint and I will always be there for you, we will always come and find you.”

“Bruce too,” Barton added. He moved to the pilot’s seat and started to power up the jet. “Coulson, you want to get him in a headset while I’m doing this?”

“Sure.” Coulson put his own set on and then knelt down next to Tony. “Here, this will let you hear everything that’s going on while we’re in flight. If you want to go to sleep, you can take it off, but they can be slept in. Just don’t roll over onto your side.”

Tony nodded and settled the earpieces over his ears. “Now what?” he asked.

“You can sleep, we can talk, or you can listen to Barton chatter away while we’re flying,” Coulson said with a smile. “I think his call sign should have been Magpie, not Hawkeye given that he never shuts up.”

“Did he just squawk?” Tony asked.

“No,” Barton replied quickly. “Coulson, sit down. We’re lifting off and I need a second for this.”

“I’ll be back, Tony,” Coulson said. He moved to the second seat and started to look over the controls. “Everything looks good, Barton. Ready when you are.”

“Why do you two do that?” Tony asked as the jet lifted up into the air.

“Do what?”

“Switch back and forth on what you call each other,” Tony said. “Half the time it’s first names, half the time it’s last names and there’s no pattern to it.”

Coulson glanced back. “Just habit more than anything else,” he said. “We were last names only for several years before we got together and it’s not something we really thought we needed to change.”

“So it doesn’t mean you’re mad at each other or something?”

“Nope, just means we’re falling back into old habits,” Barton said, grin obvious in his voice. “We don’t do mad at each other in public, Tony. Neither of us are that open with our feelings.”

“Oh, okay,” Tony said. “So what do I call you guys?”

“Whatever you want,” Coulson said. “Seriously, Tony, whatever you’re most comfortable using for our names is fine. You can even switch around if you want to and call us different things around different people.”

“Coulson, check the right thrust for me, there’s a noise I don’t like,” Barton said, breaking in.

“It’s within specs,” Coulson replied. “Want me to keep an eye on it for a while?”

“Go get Tony set up with whatever he needs and then check it again,” Barton said. “There’s no list to the jet and everything is reading green. Tony, make sure you’re strapped in just in case we hit rough patches over the ocean.”

“I got him,” Coulson said.

“Then settle in guys, I’ll get us an ETA once we hit speed,” Barton said, obviously happy to be back in the air again.


	8. Chapter 8

“Director Fury, Sir, we’re in official airspace and heading to the package drop location,” Barton was saying when Tony woke up. He didn’t know how long he’d been asleep and just stayed where he was, eyes closed, listening to Barton talk.

“Welcome home, Hawkeye,” Fury replied. “PC wired in?”

“Yes, Sir,” Coulson said. “So is the package.”

“The order still stands for you to call me when you reach the drop point,” Fury said. “I think I have a long-term solution for our problem.”

“Then you’re doing better than I am, Nick,” Coulson said. “I’ve got short-term ideas that are all easy to put into play, but nothing long-term. I’ll be anxious to hear what you came up with.”

“It wasn’t me, it was our God of Thunder,” Fury said.

“Thor’s back?” Barton asked.

“He is and came to see me personally not long after PC left for his house,” Fury replied. “Seems he had some ideas and wanted to share them with me. Hell, it beats the chemical ideas I was leaning towards.”

“That was going to be one of my short-term proposals,” Coulson said. “I didn’t want to do anything too lasting, not until we were sure of all the options.”

“Package is awake,” Barton said.

“I’ll leave you to it then,” Fury said. “PC, call me when you reach the drop point and have everything well in hand.”

“Yes, sir.” Coulson took off his headset and turned towards the back of the jet. “How do you feel, Tony?”

“Weak.”

“That’s normal. You’re going to have to start walking to get your muscles used to working again. Barton’s massages are great, but they don’t exactly help to build muscle tone.”

“Hey.”

“It’s true, Clint,” Coulson said with a smile. “ETA to drop point?”

“Four hours,” Barton replied. “I’m going to recommend this jet gets put in for service. I can still hear that noise in the right jet.”

Coulson nodded. “Your hearing is better than mine, so I believe you,” he said. 

“Uhm, Agent, what’s this talk about packages and drops?” Tony asked.

“We’re on Fury’s secure radio frequency, but even then it doesn’t mean we can be careless with what we’re saying,” Coulson said. “As far as anyone knows, you’re buried in with SHIELD R&D working on a new project that’s taking up all of your time, so that’s why you haven’t been at meetings or official functions with the Avengers. So when we say we have the package, we mean you, and the drop point is your house. Fury knows enough to trust us, so he’ll ask me to fill in details later.”

“So, you guys always talk like this when you’re on the radio? How come I’ve never heard it before?”

“Because we don’t do it when we’re working with the Avengers,” Barton said. “When I’m being Hawkeye, I like to run my mouth and don’t care if I’m on the comms or not, so they’re used to me talking about anything that comes to mind. Phil even puts up with it as long as I don’t lose sight of my mission. For something like this though, when there’s someone who needs me to protect them, I’ll use every bit of my training and follow the rules to the letter because it’s not about being a character. It’s about keeping someone safe and secure.”

“Okay, and the chemical option?” Tony asked.

“Tony, I don’t think you’re ready to hear the truth behind that,” Coulson replied gently. “Ask me again in a week if you still want to know, but it’s not the time for you to hear it.”

“I think it is.”

“Phil, he thinks we’re talking about using the chemicals on him,” Barton said.

“Oh, Tony no.” Coulson stood and knelt down next to Tony’s seat. “It’s not for you, we’re talking about someone else. The only chemicals you get are advil to help with headaches and coffee when you’re feeling a little better. I swear to you, we aren’t plotting anything to do to you.”

“Then what are you going to do?” Tony asked.

“Tony.”

“Coulson, he has a right to know,” Barton said. 

“All right,” Coulson said.

“Tony, they’re talking about giving Rogers a short-term chemical compound that will act as a castration on him,” Barton said. “He would be unable to get or sustain an erection, but it wouldn’t be for good. SHIELD has several stages of these things.”

Tony went pale, but didn’t say anything. He just stared up at the ceiling and swallowed hard a few times. “Thank you,” he finally said. “I needed the truth, Clint. Thank you.”

“Are you going to be okay?” Barton asked.

“I don’t know,” Tony replied.  
****  
The beach behind the Malibu house wasn’t wide, but there was enough room for Clint to bring the jet down and not risk the waves getting to it. He’d fly it out to a pick-up point later, after he took a nap and made sure that Tony was settled in to rest.

“Thank you for flying SHIELD airways, Mr. Stark,” he said with a grin, shutting everything down. “We’re here, Tony. Ready to go in?”

“You are such a smart ass, Barton,” Tony said. “Do I get these needles out now?”

“Once you’re inside, yes,” Coulson said. “I’ll make a list of what we need and then I can make soup for you.”

“You don’t want to turn down his soups,” Barton said. He sat down next to Tony and wrapped an arm around his waist. “All right, up you go. Come on, the sand is going to be difficult and I might have to carry you.”

“Why don’t you carry him to the door, Clint?” Coulson suggested. “That way we don’t have to worry about falls or sprains.”

“You don’t have....” Tony broke off when he was picked up and settled against Barton’s chest. “that.”

“Sure I do,” Barton grinned. “Come on, Tony, let me do this for you. You can walk into the house under your own power. I promise.”

“I really feel like I shouldn’t like this,” Tony said. “I mean, seriously, I should be like totally protesting being carried around like a princess or a bride on her wedding night.”

Barton couldn’t help but smile. “That makes me the handsome prince then,” he said.

“No way, I didn’t mean that,” Tony protested. “No, not at all what I meant.”

“You shouldn’t encourage him, Tony,” Coulson sighed. “He’ll start humming music from Disney movies now.”

“He wouldn’t,” Tony said.

“Not now,” Barton said, “not with someone spoiling my surprise.”

“Sorry,” Coulson grinned.

“No you’re not,” Barton said. He tapped the panel next to the door. “Hey JARVIS.”

“Agent Barton, Sir, it’s a pleasure to hear your voice again,” JARVIS said. “Mr. Stark, Sir, welcome home.”

“Hey J,” Tony said. “These two have full run of the house, access to all security protocols, the works.”

“Understood, Sir,” JARVIS said as the door opened. “Do you wish me to notify anyone that you are in residence?”

“Not yet,” Tony said. He tried not to show how much he missed the warmth of Barton’s chest as he was settled onto his feet again. “Pep will be after me for paperwork and I don’t want to see anyone, JARVIS. I just, I don’t want to be around people yet.”

“Yes, sir,” JARVIS said. “Agent Coulson, would you like me to place an order for food?”

“That would be awesome, JARVIS,” Coulson said. “I’ll make up a list of what we’ll need.”

Tony rolled his eyes towards Barton. “Did Agent just say awesome?” he asked.

“Yes, he did, and I’m wondering where he picked it up,” Barton replied. “Which way to the bedroom you want to use, Tony, because I know you’ve got a ton of them here.”

“Upstairs on the left,” Tony said. “There actually aren’t that many bedrooms here. This is my place to escape, to be away from people. You and Agent can have the other bedroom if you want.”

“One of us will probably be up regardless of what time it is,” Coulson said. “We don’t do well sleeping at the same time when it’s just the two of us.”

“SHIELD screwed you up?” Tony asked.

Barton nudged the door open and started to move Tony towards the large bed at the other side of the room. “Nope, just life in my case,” he replied. “SHIELD actually helped get me stabilized a little more. Do you want a bath before you go to bed?”

“Could I?” Tony asked.

“Phil?”

“He can bathe as long as one of us is with him,” Coulson replied. “The sutures will have dissolved by this point and everything should be healed up. I can check if Tony wants to be sure though.”

“Who, who put stitches in for me?” Tony asked.

“I did,” Coulson said. “Tony, only the two of us, Natasha and Fury know what happened to you. We’ve done everything possible to keep this out of the news because we want you to have the power to tell people when you’re ready. We don’t want you to be blind-sided by someone asking you about this if you never want to tell another person.”

“It’s not because of Captain America?” Tony asked.

“Nope,” Barton said. “Far as I’m concerned, Rogers’ reputation can go to hell and he can go along with it. But you, Tony, you deserve the chance to heal and make the choices of what you want to do next. You didn’t ask for this, and you need to get your sense of self back.”

Tony nodded, trying not to let the tears that had gathered in his eyes fall. “Thanks,” he whispered. “JARVIS, could you run a bath for me, please? Usual temps.”

“Yes, Sir,” JARVIS said. “If I may, Sir, I’ve been monitoring Captain America at the New York Tower and am in full agreement with Agent Barton. Would Sir like tea while he is in the bath?”

Coulson’s lips twitched. He really liked Tony’s AI. “Tea is a wonderful idea, JARVIS, but I’ll make it while I’m making the shopping list up. Clint, will you stay with Tony while he bathes?”

“Yep, not leaving until he kicks me out,” Barton said. “That okay with you, Tony?”

“Yeah, thank you,” Tony said. “Bathroom’s to the right, Clint.”

“I’ll go make the list,” Coulson said. “Any special requests?”

“Pasta,” Barton said.

“Only if you’re good,” Coulson grinned. “Tony?”

“Not right now, maybe when I’m feeling better,” Tony said.

“Back in a bit then.”

Barton nudged the door to the bathroom open and grinned. “That’s not a tub, Stark; that’s a swimming pool.”

“No, that’s totally a bathtub,” Tony said. “Are you, will you come in with me so I don’t drown?”

“Sure,” Barton said softly. He settled Tony on the bench that was probably meant for towels and clothes, but knowing Tony, had probably also been used for sex at least once. “Let’s get these IVs out and then we’ll get in the water.”

Tony looked at him. “I don’t know about you, Barton, but I don’t usually bathe with my clothes on.”

“I didn’t want to assume,” Barton grinned. “Okay, you know the drill. No hitting.” He carefully removed the IVs from Tony’s arm and set them on the counter by the sink to be disposed of later. “You want me to leave my shorts on, Tony?”

“It’s okay,” Tony said. “Really, I don’t want you treating me like I’m going to break. Just treat me like you normally would. It’ll help a lot.”

“Okay, but you tell me if you start to get uncomfortable and I’ll fix it,” Barton said. He quickly stripped, piling his clothes on the floor out of the way and watched Tony’s eyes carefully as he approached the other man. “You ready?”

“I feel the love, Barton,” Tony said as the t-shirt was pulled off. “I’m not going to break just because you’re standing there naked in front of me. I know you’re still badass enough to kill me like this.”

“I wouldn’t though,” Barton said. He knelt down and slowly worked the sleep pants off.

“Clint, I think I heard everything you said to me when I was unconscious. I don’t know, was I asleep? A coma?”

“You were catatonic, Sir,” JARVIS said. “A state that would allow you to retain memories of things said to you while you remained in that state.”

“Yeah, okay, so I remember you telling me that you’d seen me and Agent in bed together,” Tony said. “Did you notice something?”

Barton smiled softly. “I noticed everything, Tony,” he said. “Come on, water is waiting for us.”

“Specifically though. Do you top Agent when you’re together?”

“Sometimes, it depends on how we’re feeling,” Barton said. He lowered Tony into the overly huge bathtub and then slipped in with him. “I’ve always been open to either position and Phil seems to like switching around too. I did notice that he let you top him when you were together.”

“I’ve never once willingly let anyone penetrate me,” Tony said. “I’d thought about it, but the amount of trust you have to have in your partner, it just wasn’t happening for me with anyone I slept with. I was always so careful to pick guys I knew would let me top. Then I was kidnapped and they raped me. I thought I was going to die there, Barton. I thought that I’d bleed too much, they’d damage something they couldn’t repair, and I’d die. But I didn’t. I escaped and came home to debriefs and press conferences and no one listening to me and how could I tell anyone what I’d been through? I told them about almost all of the tortures, but not that one. JARVIS is the only one who knew about that. Until I told you. I don’t even know why I told you, but I did. You didn’t judge me, you listened and you smiled and said it was okay. That I wasn’t dirty, that I wasn’t damaged and you knew what I was going through. You gave me hope that I hadn’t had in years, and I didn’t know how to handle that. Then you left the page out of your file showing that you really did know what I’d been through, how it felt to be violated so badly, and I thought there was a deeper connection between us after that.”

“There was,” Barton said. “Want me to wash your hair?”

“Please. I was thinking about maybe asking you if you’d top me. I thought that maybe I would be able to trust you enough to let you do that, to give you that much power over me, but I also knew that you and Agent are together and didn’t know how that would work out,” Tony continued. “If I had asked you to top me, where would he be? What would he be doing? I didn’t know if I could let myself be that open with both of you in the room. Thinking about it scared me and I was too scared to even try and work up the courage to ask you about it.”

Barton started to massage Tony’s head gently. “If you’d asked, Phil would have let us have that time alone, Tony,” he said softly. “Yes, he dreams of the three of us together, but he’d never push for more than you wanted to give. If having me be your first, the first that you chose, was what you wanted, and you wanted it to just be us, then he’d understand. Doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be getting off on his own thinking about it, but he wouldn’t have pushed.”

“How do you do it, Clint?” Tony asked. “How do you let the man you love go off and sleep with others?”

“At first it’s what I thought he wanted,” Barton admitted. He tilted Tony’s head back to rinse the soap out. “I couldn’t believe that he wanted to be in a relationship with me, that he’d be happy with just me so we set this up. He always checks with me before he does anything, and if I say no then he won’t. There’s also been times when I’ve had to sleep with people for my ops and Phil knew about all of those. I guess, now anyway, I know he’s always going to come back to me. You’re the most recent person he’s asked to be able to sleep with, and I could recognize unresolved sexual tension even as far away as I was, and you’re the first one in years that he’s asked about. I guess I’ve finally realized that he does want me, even as broken and battered as I am.”

“Sirs, Agent Coulson has just entered the bedroom,” JARVIS interrupted. “He wishes to know if he may join you, or if you prefer time alone.”

“It’s up to you, Tony,” Barton said.

“Let him in, J,” Tony said. “Then Steve showed up in the lab and tried to get me to go out to dinner with him. I mean, I’m all for eating, but I was busy and he didn’t seem to take no for an answer. I should have listened to you, Clint. Maybe if I had taken him seriously, we wouldn’t be here right now.”

Coulson pushed the door shut behind him and moved to sit on the edge of the tub. “Don’t second guess yourself, Tony,” he said. “You’ll just drive yourself crazy if you do that.”

“He’s right,” Barton agreed. “I spent a week after Loki was sent home asking myself what I could have done differently to stop the attacks. Could I have been stronger, gotten out from under his influence easier? How could I have kept the people I worked with safe? I wasn’t sleeping, I wasn’t eating; hell, I think that’s when Fury threatened to have me locked in a cell and sedated just so I would sleep.”

“He never,” Coulson said.

“Yep, he did,” Barton said. He wrapped an arm around Tony’s waist and settled them back against the edge of the tub. “Something about you kicking his ass when you woke up if I wasn’t healthy and in perfect shape. He never did, but his reaction got me thinking again.”

“What was your answer?” Tony asked.

“I’ve been working with Hill and her teams to up security on the Helicarrier so no one else can pull of what I did,” Barton replied. “You had JARVIS and me watching out for you, Tony. You were in your lab in your house and you should have been safe. If anyone failed, it was me because I left you with him.”

“Nope, not doing that either,” Coulson said. “Rogers in the only one to blame for this and that’s where the blame will be put. Clint, you know as well as I do that you couldn’t glue yourself to Tony to be with him all the time. Rogers would have found his opening and taken it. You got there as quickly as you could, that’s the important thing.”

“How quickly did you get to the lab?” Tony asked, twisting his head around so he could see Barton. “I don’t remember anything beyond my hands being taped to one of the tables.”

“Rogers had you taped between two tables and had penetrated you,” Barton said. “I don’t know how long it took me to get to you, but I was already in the vent system when JARVIS alerted me.”

“You responded in under two minutes, Agent Barton,” JARVIS said. “The modifications to the vent network that you asked for aided you in shaving approximately three minutes off your response time.”

Tony sighed. “I don’t want to know what the two of you have done, do I?”

“It’s just slides and ladders, Tony,” Barton said. “Nothing bad. Nothing that hurts the vent network in any way. I came down on my table, had my bow in hand and arrow drawn before I fully worked out what I was seeing. When Rogers didn’t listen to me, I shot him in the shoulder and picked up the exploding arrow. I was going to put it in his eye if he moved wrong.”

“You would have killed him?” Tony asked.

“In a heartbeat if it meant you would be safe,” Barton replied. “JARVIS called Nat and Phil down for me, Nat took care of Rogers while Phil and I took care of you. Nat’s the one who flew us to England, Tony. We’re serious when we say that no one but the three of us, Nat and Fury know what happened.”

“I think Dr. Banner has worked out what happened, but no one told him,” Coulson said. 

“That’s okay, actually,” Tony said. “Bruce understands, he won’t judge me. I know he won’t. Can we get out, Clint? I think I need to sleep.”

“Sure. Is it okay if Phil helps?”

“What did I say about treating me like I’m going to break?”

“At this point, anything could trigger a panic attack or a flashback, Tony. I’m not handling you with kid gloves here,” Barton said. “I want to make sure that I don’t hurt you worse. That’s not saying you’re going to break. That’s saying that I trust you to make the calls to let yourself heal.”

“Oh.” Tony held out a hand to Coulson and allowed himself to be moved back to the bench. “When do I get to start working out? Not that I don’t enjoy having you two carry me everywhere, but I want to be able to move on my own.”

“Let’s see how you feel tomorrow,” Coulson said. “We’ll feed you and then, if you’re up to it, we can start you walking around.”

“Okay,” Tony said. “Uhm, Clint, would you stay with me tonight? I’ve sort of gotten used to having you near me and I really just, I don’t want to be alone.”

“Sure,” Barton said. “Phil, could you grab my stuff from my bag? I’ll get Tony dressed and settled.”

“Yeah, be right back,” Coulson said.

“You need to talk to him, don’t you?” Tony asked. “Go talk to him. I’ll be okay for ten minutes.”

“Tony.”

“No, not negotiating here. Go talk to your boyfriend, Clint. He needs to tell you something, and he doesn’t want me to hear it. Go on, I promise I’ll be right here when you get back.”

Barton sighed. “Okay,” he agreed. “I’ll be right back.”


	9. Chapter 9

Coulson was in the hallway downstairs when Barton caught up with him. “Hey.”

“Hey, I thought you were staying with Tony,” Coulson said. 

“I am, but he said you needed to talk with me,” Barton said. He wrapped Coulson in a tight hug. “I think he really wants to be sure that you’re okay with me sleeping with him tonight when we haven’t seen each other in so long, or that you’re not jealous that he doesn’t want you in there too.”

“I’ll talk to him,” Coulson sighed. He returned the hug and just rested his head on Barton’s shoulder. “I need to tell you the reason Rogers gave for his actions, Clint. It’s a stupid excuse, one that I don’t totally buy, but it’s what we have. You have to promise me you won’t go kill him when you hear this, and that you won’t tell Tony until we’re a little more sure of his mental state.”

“He’s trying to bury it,” Barton said. “He’s talking and you can tell that he’s trying to talk about it, but he doesn’t know how and that’s bothering him. He needs to take control back and he’s still lost.”

“Yeah,” Coulson agreed. “Rogers said that, during the war, he and Howard Stark played cards together. Somehow, and don’t ask me how because I know that Howard already had money by that point, Rogers won so much that Howard offered him whatever he wanted to pay off the pot, making it legit even after his death. Rogers decided that Tony was going to be his prize.”

“Okay, that’s warped,” Barton said.

“It is. Fury is checking into a few of Howard’s things, knowing that he would have written down a note of such a debt, especially to Captain America of all people,” Coulson said. “I have my own theory, but it’s nothing more than that. I don’t have anything to back this up.”

“What’s that?”

“That maybe something did go wrong with the super soldier program, but with Rogers it took longer to see because he was trapped in the ice for so long,” Coulson said. “I don’t know, maybe there was some tiny part of Rogers that wasn’t the good man that the rest of him was and, when he went down in the ice, it had time to grow and mutate and is slowly taking him over.”

“Like a brain tumor or something?” Barton asked. “I know I read something like that, where someone’s personality completely changed because of a tumor growing in the right spot on his brain. You’re thinking that Rogers is physically sick and that’s why he did this.”

Coulson leaned back a little. “You have to admit it sounds more reasonable than him winning Tony in a poker game,” he said.

“It does, actually,” Barton said. “Hey, JARVIS, do you have medical scanning programming?”

“Nothing so advanced, Agent Barton,” JARVIS said. “For that, he would need to either go to a hospital or up to SHIELD medical.”

“Neither of which we can do right now,” Coulson sighed. “Clint, you go on up and take care of Tony. I’m going to call Fury and see what his solution to this is. I can only imagine how crazy it’s going to be if Thor is involved with this now.”

Barton kissed his lover softly. “You’re an amazing man, you know that, right?”

“Yeah,” Coulson smiled. “You’re pretty amazing yourself, you know. Get some sleep. I’ll check on you guys in a bit.”

“Okay, night.”

Coulson watched his lover go back up the stairs and smiled softly. “Is the house secure, JARVIS?”

“Yes, Sir. Do you wish for me to contact Director Fury for you? You can use the secure line in the lab if you wish.”

“Thanks, JARVIS, but I’ve got my phone,” Coulson said. “It’ll be safer this way.”

“As you wish, Sir. Please do alert me if there is any more I can do to help you.”

“I will.” Coulson sank down on the sofa and rubbed his eyes. Barton was right about one thing, Tony was acting way too normal and he was afraid that it was going to lead to a larger problem in the future. He just hoped that it didn’t come to blows before they were done. Barton would let Tony beat him, and Coulson didn’t want to try to pick up the pieces from that fallout.

“Phil, what’s your status?” Fury asked, picking up after the third ring.

“We’re secure,” Coulson replied. “I’m worried about Stark, but he seems to be more open to Barton helping him, so I’m leaving them to it right now. This could still blow up on us, Sir.”

“I trust you to see it doesn’t come to that. I’ll get you any support you need, but we have to keep this quiet, Phil. You know what would happen if this came to the media’s attention,” Fury said. “You also know I’m not just talking about the fallout from Captain America.”

Coulson sighed. “Stark is more popular with people than he realizes. We could very easily have riots if it gets out that he’s been attacked,” he said. “By one of his own team, no less. I’ll do the best I can, Sir, but you know how unpredictable Tony can be. What did Thor have to say to you? I’ve been trying to figure that out since you hinted at a solution.”

“Turns out he could use magic from Asgard to block these memories from Roger’s mind,” Fury said. “It would be as good as erasing them. You know how I feel about mind control, hell, I think Barton might rabbit if we even mention this to him after what he suffered with Loki, but I’m of a mind to let Thor try it. Then, at least, we wouldn’t have to worry about Rogers talking out of turn and blowing this whole thing up.”

“It could just make our problems worse though. How would we explain to him that Stark doesn’t want to be near him if he doesn’t remember what he did?” Coulson asked. “Rogers is the team leader for the Avengers, and it’ll be hard for him to lead when no one trusts him and the rest of the team is waiting for him to hurt one of them. We’d have to keep him at SHIELD, which would make it harder for him to work with the team. Before you ask, I’m not letting Thor near Tony. He’s going to heal from this under his own power. I’m not going to let you use any type of magic on him.”

“I wasn’t planning to,” Fury said. “I think our immediate concern should be a way to shut Rogers’ mouth about these events and we can work on team dynamics once we’re sure that he’s not going to talk.”

Coulson sighed. “Sir, I still think we need to have him checked by medical for health problems,” he said. “It’s not inconceivable that there’s something medically wrong with his brain that caused the attack.”

“I found Howard’s notes, Phil. Rogers was telling us the truth about the card game and the promise,” Fury said. “It was right before Rogers went down into the Artic. I don’t know how Stark never picked up on this, never realized that there was such a link between his father and Captain America, but it’s there.”

“Tony’s not fond of his father,” Coulson pointed out. “He pretends well in public, when he has to, but I’ve heard some of his comments when he’s thought no one was listening to him. I’m not surprised he didn’t read through his father’s field notes from the War. There’s no note about Tony being the prize, is there?”

“No,” Fury said. “No, it just notes down exactly what Rogers told us about the debt and says to pay him whatever he asks for. I’d like to think that Howard wouldn’t have given his son to Rogers, but we’ll never know, will we?”

“No, Sir, we won’t,” Coulson said. He leaned back against the sofa, sinking down into the cushions. “I’ll agree with you though. The thought that any parent might be willing to give up their child to settle a debt is enough to turn my stomach. Team dynamics aside, I’d be happy to never let Tony see Rogers again.”

Fury sighed. “I’m not sure what we’re going to do about that, Phil. I really don’t. I’m hoping that maybe, if we can keep them apart at the battles, Stark will agree to work with Rogers if you’re there to make field calls. I think having both you and Hawkeye with him will help.”

“I’ll ask him, Sir,” Coulson said. “I’m hoping he’s asleep right now, Barton was at least helping Tony in the direction of the bed when I came down to call you. I’m not hoping for a full night’s sleep, but between Barton and myself, we can combat nightmares as they come.”

“I wish we’d been able to catch Rogers before this imploded on us,” Fury said.

“Barton did, Sir. I think JARVIS was right though, even if Barton stayed with Stark constantly, Rogers still would have found a way to attack him,” Coulson said. “JARVIS was on the alert and so was Barton. I think having him be the one to be the primary caretaker for Stark was the best call I made recently.”

“You know your people, hell, I know you know Barton better than I do,” Fury said. “He’s smart, he always takes me by surprise, and I know there’s crap he’s hiding from everyone. You should count yourself lucky there, Phil. You have the trust and loyalty of one of the best men we have.”

“You know I have much more than that, Nick,” Coulson said with a soft smile.

“I wasn’t going to be the one who brought that part up,” Fury said. “All right, so we have a path set out for the next couple of weeks then; I’ll let Thor do whatever he needs to do to Rogers and start handling the problems we’re going to be coming up against at the Tower. Hell, I might need you to fly back and talk with Natasha for me. You know she’s going to have her own opinions about this.”

“I’ll call her,” Phil said.

“Thank you. You and Barton stay with Stark and monitor him as closely as you can. I know he’s not going to bounce back from this in a week, so I’m working on some plans to protect the planet if it comes to that.”

“It’s possible he might be able to appear in battle, Sir, just not interact closely with any of the team. I’ll see how he’s doing in the next couple of days and we can plan from there,” Coulson said. “Being in the suit might actually help Tony out a little. It’s something that no one can touch him through.”

“A bit like a security blanket,” Fury said. “I’ll let you make the call there, Phil. Keep in touch and I’ll let you know when Thor is done.”

“Yes, Sir,” Coulson said. He closed his phone and let his hand drop to his lap. “Mind control, JARVIS. That’s Fury’s solution.”

“If I may venture an opinion, Sir, magic from another world might be just the solution Director Fury is looking for,” JARVIS said. “After all, we did see how effective it was prior to the battle in New York.”

Coulson sighed. “We also saw how easy it was to get rid of the mind control once Natasha worked out what to do,” he said. “I’ll always be thankful to her for bringing Clint back to me, but we do this, what’s to say one sharp blow to the head won’t undo everything Thor is doing?”

“It is possible we may just have to have faith, Agent Coulson,” JARVIS said after a moment.

“I may be about out of faith,” Coulson said. “Are they asleep, JARVIS?”

“They are. Are you planning to sleep?”

“Not right now. I’ll sleep when Clint’s awake. He was right, we don’t do well if we sleep at the same time.”


	10. Chapter 10

Barton hopped back up the stairs and slipped into the bathroom carrying a fresh set of clothes for Tony. “All right, let’s get you dressed and ready for bed.”

“I’m going to have nightmares, aren’t I?” Tony asked as he was carefully dressed. 

“Probably, but there’s no way to know for sure,” Barton replied. “I’ll be here if you do, Tony. I’m not planning to leave you alone any time soon. All right, come on, you ready for bed?”

“Is the house secure, JARVIS?” Tony asked.

“It is, Sir. Would you like me to run another sweep to be sure?”

“No, no, it’s fine, J. I’ll be fine. I’ve got Hawkeye here with me,” Tony said. “Agent is downstairs. I’m as secure as I’m going to be.”

Barton picked Tony up and carried him into the bedroom. He ignored the token protest Tony put up and settled him on the bed. “You don’t have to be embarrassed to like that, Tony,” he said softly. “What can I do to help you sleep tonight? Where do you want me to be?”

“In bed with me,” Tony said. “I need to know that you’re close. That you’ll take care of anyone who comes in here. Just, please, tell me where you’re going to hide weapons so I don’t hurt you or myself when I wake up tonight.”

“No one but Phil will come in here, Tony,” Barton said softly. “I know that you’ve lost a sense of safety that it’ll take time to get back, but you are safe here. This is your house and you get to choose who you want to let in, okay?” He crossed to his bag and brought it back to the bed. “Do you want to choose the weapons tonight?”

“I don’t, I really don’t like weapons anymore,” Tony said. “I have them on the suit, I know them so intimately, but I don’t like them. Not after what I’ve seen. You pick. Whatever you’re most comfortable with.”

Barton opened the bag and started to dig through it. “I’m going to put a handgun on the bedside table over here,” he started, thinking about what all he had with him. “My bow is in its case, it’s not something that I usually keep near me when I’m asleep anyway.” He strapped a knife to his lower leg and picked out his favorite dagger. “This is going to be under the pillow over here,” he said. “I never sleep with a weapon exposed, Tony. That’s careless.”

“Okay, yeah, knives. I can deal with knives. That’s okay.” Tony slid under the covers and tried to get comfortable. “Will you talk to me while I’m going to sleep, Clint? Tell me a story or something?”

“Sure, what do you want to hear about?” Barton asked. He sat down on the far side of the bed and crossed his legs.

“I don’t know, something fun. Something you’ve enjoyed doing.” Tony grabbed a second pillow and put it under his head. “Something that isn’t about work or violence.”

“Something fun, huh?” Barton grinned. “SHIELD frowns on fun, Tony, you should have realized that one. Okay, how about a Halloween prank I played on Fury and Coulson?”

Tony grinned. “You managed to prank Fury?”

“You’ve probably noticed that I really like vents,” Barton said with a smile. “There’s something that’s just fun about being up high, secure, and out of sight that I really enjoy. That it lets me watch people, gather intel and move without being noticed is just a bonus. I’m a sniper. We’re not the most social people in the world, and I like being alone with time to think. It’s training. So, anyway, SHIELD took over this old building just outside the Capitol and, after the initial check, no one went near the vent system.”

“So you took it over as your own,” Tony said with a small smile. “Like you have in the Tower?”

“I thought that JARVIS would tell me if I wasn’t supposed to be in there,” Barton said.

“I would have, Sir,” JARVIS said. “The extra security for the Tower is a plus. As you say, so few people think about vent systems these days.”

“You’ve bonded with my AI,” Tony said. “That’s amazing. He normally doesn’t warm up to people this quickly. So what’d you do to Fury and Coulson?”

Barton shifted until he was lying on his stomach, feet in the air, and laughed. “I very carefully started rumors of ghosts in the building,” he said. “They were using the building as a training center for junior and lower level agents. Classrooms full of kids, and most of them grew up watching scary movies. The rumors took on a life of their own, right up until the point that I couldn’t tell which ones were mine and which ones had grown out of them. The best part was watching Phil and the other senior agents who were on teaching detail try and convince these scared kids that there weren’t any ghosts in the building.”

“You were in the vents for all of this, weren’t you?”

“As much of it as I could be. I was actually there as an instructor too, teaching firearms and hand-to-hand, so my days were pretty packed,” Barton said.  
“You teach hand-to-hand?” Tony asked. “Spar with me?”

“When you’re feeling better I’ll teach you some new tricks,” Barton replied with a grin. “So, we’re getting close to Halloween and I’m starting to hide things in the lower vents. Nothing that will hurt anyone, but timed devices that would release mist into the classrooms. Always when I was in the gym, I wasn’t going to give the game away early. I fiddled with the heat so there were random cold spots in the halls, put mirrors around so it looked like there were people standing in halls when they were empty. I pretty much did everything I could to make the building appear to be haunted. I think Phil knew it was me, but there was no way to prove it.”

Tony opened his eyes and smiled. “Bet it was driving him crazy, not knowing something,” he said sleepily.

“He tried to get me to admit it was me,” Barton said. “I wouldn’t. Finally, the day comes when Fury’s scheduled to inspect the place, and I can tell that Coulson is just waiting for something to happen. He’s tense, jumping at shadows, pretty much admitting to Fury that there’s a problem in the building, but not willing to tell what it is. Fury’s watching him closely, trying to figure out what has everyone so riled up. They finally get to the upper level and there’s mist on the floor. I swear that Coulson beat his head against the wall a couple of times while Fury was staring at the mist. He finally asks what the hell is going on and I drop a sheet ghost down from the ceiling directly in front of them.”

“How high did they jump?” Tony asked.

“Two feet back and Fury emptied his gun into the thing,” Barton laughed. “I’d made sure there was no one else allowed on that floor during the tour, no danger of one of the juniors getting shot. I was in the gym waiting for them when they showed up.”

“Could they prove it was you?”

“Oh, they knew it was me. They didn’t need to be able to prove anything and Fury, after he spent fifteen minutes lecturing me on playing pranks, another ten on proper behavior for an agent of SHIELD,” Barton said, “which I interrupted to point out that I’d never been a model agent and they were lucky I had creative outlets for my talents; Fury started laughing so hard that he had to sit down. My punishment for the prank, because Phil was really mad at me for staging something so dangerous, was to teach three weeks of classes for the juniors. We did crawls through the vents, talked about the mist bombs I’d used, how I created the cold spots and everything else. I think he’s the only one who would have taken my pranks and turned it into a teaching experience. The best part of the whole thing was when Phil made the juniors attempt to recreate my pranks. Not one of them could manage it.” He looked over and saw that Tony was asleep. “It just proves that everyone is good at something, Tony, and talents can be unique.”

Barton shifted slightly so he was in a better position to sleep and closed his eyes. He knew that Coulson was downstairs and would be awake until he went to relieve him.  
**  
Unless he was in his own bed at the Tower, usually with his partner curled up next to him, Barton was a light sleeper. SHIELD realized early on that it was a bad idea to try to wake him up gently, usually the agent who tried ended up with a black eye. Not even the light sleep schedule he’d been keeping for almost a month was enough to put him into a deep sleep in an unfamiliar location, and Barton was instantly awake at the first light tremor of the bed. He stayed still, searching for a threat and, finding none, propped himself up into a sitting position.

“Did anyone warn you about Wednesdays at SHEILD, Tony?” he asked softly, hoping his voice would be enough to settle the other man into a calmer sleep. Tony’s eye movements showed trouble, but Barton didn’t think it was a nightmare just then. “The cafeteria makes this weird ass pea soup every Wednesday, and I swear that it’s made from the left-overs of the previous week. I’m waiting for a chance to talk with Dr. Banner about running some tests on the stuff, seeing if maybe the lunch crew hasn’t found a way to create new life and not told anyone about it. Never, ever go near the food on Wednesdays. Actually, I’d never go near it period, but I know there’s times when you’ve been there over lunch and had to face the horror that is the lunchroom.”

“You woke me up from a nightmare by telling me about food monsters,” Tony croaked.

“First thing that came to mind,” Barton said. “You need some water?”

“Actually, could you help me to the bathroom?” Tony asked.

“Gonna be sick?”

“No, no, my stomach is fine, I just need to piss.”

Barton nodded and scooped Tony up again. “I like feeling you here, Tony,” he admitted softly. “I like knowing you’re back with me. I’d miss having someone to snark with.”

“Such a romantic, Barton,” Tony commented. “I don’t know how you ever got Agent to even look at you.”

“Hanging in front of him from the ceiling worked really well,” Barton said, not letting on how much that comment hurt. Tony was just snarking, not trying to hurt him. “You need help?”

“Nah, I got it. Just stay close.” Tony leaned against the wall with a sigh. “I hate being weak. It was actually beat into me pretty early on that being weak wasn’t an option, you know. Dad wasn’t the best person in the world, but he wanted me to show how smart I was. Show that I could stand up to people bigger than I was with my ideas and not back down.”

“I know where you’re coming from,” Barton said. “When you’re an orphan with the circus you learn to fight or break. Of course, I did both, given how badly I was injured when they left me to die in the ditch, but still, I battled back from that.”

Tony looked over at him. “This isn’t in your file,” he said. He grabbed onto the counter and pulled himself around to get a drink of water. “None of that is in your file.”

“Phil made sure it wasn’t,” Barton said. “I was fifteen and he’s the one who found me in the ditch. Everyone around SHIELD thinks that I went from the circus to being a freelance hit man and then SHIELD came and found me, but it didn’t happen like that. I just let the story circulate because it makes me sound pretty badass.”

“It does. Back to bed?”

Barton picked him up and carried him back to the bed. “You want to hear the story?”

“If you’re willing to tell it.”

“I was with the circus eight years. It’s where I learned to shoot and where I learned some pretty dirty fighting tricks just trying to stay alive,” Barton said. “I won’t bore you with the details, but they trained me to be an archer and also trapeze artist. I, eventually, combined the two talents into one act and it was a draw. I mean, people had seen archers and people had seen trapeze acts, but never combined. Then I found out how the owner of the place was stealing money from towns we visited, usually holding up the local diner or a gas station, but they managed a bank once. I was packing my things to leave, I was going to tell the police what I knew, when they found me. I don’t remember the beating, don’t remember the ditch they left me in. I woke up in a nice hospital, way nicer than anything the area I’d been in would have had, and a suit sitting next to my bed.”

“Agent.”

“Yep. He’d been driving through on his way to an assignment and saw blood on the side of the road. I don’t know how he didn’t know it wasn’t animal, but he stopped and looked. He found me, took me to the hospital and stayed with me.” Barton smiled. “He could’ve just left me there, let me go into a state house until I was eighteen and left me to fend for myself, but he didn’t. Fury was my legal guardian after that, they tested my IQ and got me into a GED program. I did college online when that became the thing, and I joined SHIELD when I turned eighteen.”

“How’d you become a sniper?” Tony asked.

Barton’s mouth crocked up at the side in a half-smile. “I remember when they took me to the range for the first time,” he said. “I complained that the targets were too close to where I was standing and asked if I could move. Fury humored me. I not only went back, I went up. It just seemed like the logical place to shoot from. He’s never been one to waste resources, so Fury had me start training as a sniper. I’m a better shot with my bow, it’s the reason I have such an advanced system, but I can shoot anything if you give me some time to study it.”

“You’re really not just another SHIELD agent, are you?”

“Hell, just because Fury was my guardian doesn’t mean I get special treatment. I think he was actually harder on me than he is on most other agents because of that,” Barton said. “Let’s just say that my missions are always fairly unique as far as missions go because of my skill set. Everything I’ve done is classified. Not even Loki’s mind control was enough to get that information out of me.”

Tony rolled onto his side and pulled his pillows into a better position. “What sort of training do you have to go through to be a SHIELD agent?” he asked.

“Phil, you want to answer this one?” Barton called.

Coulson came into the room and shook his head. “I know I didn’t make any noise, Clint; how’d you know I was out there?” he asked.

“Don’t ask stupid questions. We’re having story time. It’s your turn to tell us a story,” Barton said. He lay down on his stomach again and waved his feet back and forth. “I like the one about the time Santa visited SHIELD.”

“Santa?” Tony asked.

“You two are way too awake for how late it is,” Coulson sighed. “Nick Fury in a Santa hat with his leather coat hardly means Santa visited SHIELD, Barton.”

“You know, the more you talk, the less I fear him,” Tony said with a yawn. “My question still stands, what sort of training do you guys get?”

“The question should be what training do we not get?” Coulson said. “Depending on their level within the organization, agents receive training in everything from firearms to piloting anything that flies.”

“So, what, Natasha is at a different level than you, Barton?” Tony asked.

“I don’t have a level,” Barton replied. “I don’t. I’ve been outside the power grid for years now. The only thing they haven’t tried to get me to do is recruit, and that’s just because I work deep cover at times and the fewer people who know who I am, the better.”

“That’s why you’re never around when the press wants to talk to us after a battle,” Tony said. His voice was starting to slur a little as sleep crept up on him again. “You’re making sure no one ever sees you.”

“Yep, I’ve got to keep cover,” Barton agreed. “So, Tony, what else can we tell you about? I bet you’d like to hear about the case with the trained bear, two cakes and a fish, wouldn’t you?”

A soft snore was his only answer. Coulson shook his head. “You’re impossible, Clint,” he whispered. 

“Yeah, I know. You want to take a turn sleeping? I need to prowl.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’ll be back in a bit. Dagger’s in its normal place.” Barton slipped out of the room before Coulson could ask another question. With a small sigh, Coulson moved to the bed and stretched out carefully, hand reaching under the pillow for the dagger Barton always slept with. He’d recognized the look in his lover’s eyes and wondered what could have set him off. They would have to have a talk within the next day or so, before the problem got blown completely out of proportion. Barton wasn’t lying when he said he had self-esteem issues and it had taken years for Coulson to be able to recognize when that was the problem. He closed his eyes and forced his brain to stop thinking so he would be able to sleep. He really wanted Barton curled up with him, but knew that was impossible.  
**  
“Sir, if I may suggest, why not go down to the swimming pool?” JARVIS asked quietly while Barton was pacing the length of the kitchen. “It is sound-proof and I will be happy to listen should you need to talk.”

“Thanks, JARVIS,” Barton said. “Lower level?”

“Yes, Sir. Follow those stairs down past the lab and you’ll find the pool. Are you in need of anything specific?”

“A drink would be a plus, but I can’t. Not when I’m on guard detail like this,” Barton said with a snort. He pushed the door open and smiled when he saw the hot tub. “Now that I can get behind. Could you turn the hot tub on, JARVIS?”

“Certainly, Sir,” JARVIS replied. “There are suits for guests in the closet by the changing rooms. Towels are in the closet to the left.”

Barton grinned. “I’ll just need a towel,” he said. “I doubt anyone will object, unless you’re worried about it there, J.”

“However you are most comfortable, Sir,” JARVIS said. “Sir, might I point out that Mr. Stark frequently speaks without any active thinking involved. I believe it’s because his brain is constantly shifting through data input. He did not mean any harm by his comment to you.”

“I know he didn’t, which is why I didn’t bring it up.” Barton eased into the hot water with a groan. “I’m sure Phil knows something is off, but he wouldn’t mention it where Tony could hear us talking. Tony’s got enough going on right now, I don’t want to add to his problems with my stupid self-esteem problems.”

“If I may, Sir, any personal problem is not stupid. It is a legitimate concern which should be addressed as promptly as possible.”

“Yeah, I suppose so. This is what happens when you grow up hearing no one wants you around, that you’re not good enough, and you don’t have the talents that Tony has to help make up for the feelings of utter worthlessness that become as much a part of you as your blood,” Barton said. “There’s no way Tony could have known that one of my fears is that Phil is going to look at me one day, realize he’s made a huge mistake and leave me behind. It took me months to work up the nerve to ask him out for coffee and I almost didn’t show when he said yes.”

“Is this the reason for your more open relationship?” JARVIS asked.

“It was when we first got together, yeah. I wanted to give him an out. A way to be with others, which I was sure he wanted, when he was still with me,” Barton sighed. “I never looked at anyone else, Phil’s always been it for me, but I couldn’t imagine he’d feel the same way. He’s always asked me and when I’ve said no, he listened to me and didn’t sleep with whoever it was he’d been looking at. Over the years the number dropped, but it seemed like there was always someone who would catch his eye. Someone he’d want to sleep with.”

“Forgive me if I am out of bounds, Sir, but if it bothers you so to have your partner be intimate with others, why do you not tell him so? It seems that would be more logical than suffering silently while he is out with others.”

“Because I’m scared,” Barton said. “I’m scared that if I ask him to just be with me, to stop this agreement we have, he’ll leave me. I’d rather have what he gives me than not have him at all.”

JARVIS was quiet for a moment. “What of your feelings towards Mr. Stark, Sir?”

“Threw me for a loop, JARVIS. With him I really could see something more, maybe the missing piece that I’ve been searching for all these years,” Barton said. “I’d never lead him on, JARVIS. You don’t have to worry about that. Tony’s been hurt so much, I’m not going to be the one to add to his pain. If I could, I’d take it away from him. I’ve had so much pain in my life, I’m pretty numb most of the time.”

“Sir, I must admit your mood alarms me,” JARVIS said. “Would you allow me to alert Agent Coulson to your location? I believe the two of you need to talk.”

“No, Tony needs him more than I do right now,” Barton said. “I’ll be fine, JARVIS. Just gonna sit here and enjoy the hot water for a while.”

“Yes, Sir,” JARVIS said, sounding resigned.  
**  
Coulson had forgotten to take his earpiece out before he went to bed and jumped slightly when Barton’s voice came over it. The slight echo told him that Barton wasn’t using the comm system, that he hadn’t activated his own earpiece, and that meant JARVIS had likely hacked into it. He lay still and listened, heart skipping a little at the words.

He knew that Barton wasn’t as secure about their relationship as he pretended to be. It was one reason Coulson backed off sleeping with anyone else. Even when he had, after Barton asked him out that first time, it was usually SHIELD related and not a personal choice. Coulson used their agreement to his advantage with Tony because he could tell the man was going to implode without some form of release, and the tension between them was intense. He hadn’t meant to fall in love with Tony like he had, but it sounded like Barton was following that same path and liked Tony more than he probably thought he should.

The question that had to be answered was what had Tony said to set Barton off so badly? Coulson knew most of Barton’s triggers, but it was impossible to tell what the problem was without waking Tony or going down to the pool and talking with Barton. He didn’t want to leave Tony alone, the man would probably panic if he woke up from a nightmare and found he was alone, so that meant he’d have to wait. Coulson was good at waiting, even if he was as worried as JARVIS about Barton.


	11. Chapter 11

“Clint.” 

“Hey, morning, how’d you sleep?” Barton asked, looking up from the stove where he was cooking breakfast. “Hungry? Tony’s got a really wicked gym downstairs and I went ahead and did my workout, but if you want to spar later, I’m up for it.”

“Clint, slow down,” Coulson sighed. “You need to get some sleep.”

“I’ll nap with Tony later,” Barton said with a shrug. “I know he’s supposed to be hidden away with SHIELD, but do you think we could get away with the beach later today?”

Coulson stepped up behind his lover and wrapped him in a hug. “Maybe. You need to get the jet to a pick-up point before we do too much else today,” he said.

“I can’t, the engine’s dead,” Barton said. He wiggled loose and moved to the fridge. “I checked it this morning and it won’t go. Fury’s not really happy about it, but he’s sending a crew down. They’ll get it working again and out of here.”

“Which means people are going to know we’re here, at least, and probably figure out Tony’s here too,” Coulson said. “I suppose we can adjust the story to bring in his lab here. That shouldn’t be too hard, we just need to keep Pepper out of the way for another week or so.”

“Do you think Tony’s going to tell her the truth or say he’s just worn down from working?” Barton asked. He slid the eggs onto plates that already had bacon on them. “Toast?”

“Sure. Barton, what did Tony say to you last night?”

Barton paused for a brief second. “We talked about a lot of stuff, I don’t really remember too much of it, other than telling stories about work,” he said. “Why?”

“Because you went prowling last night and you never do that unless you’re upset about something,” Coulson said. “You were fine between going to bed and when I joined you and I know you didn’t have a nightmare because I would have heard that, so logic dictates that Tony said something to you to throw you off your pace a little.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Clint, don’t shut me out, please?”

“Seriously, it’s nothing. I just needed to think and you know I like to move when I can,” Barton said. He set up a tray with a plate of toast, a tea pot and cups. “Is Tony awake?”

“He wasn’t when I left him, but JARVIS said he’d keep an eye on things for a minute or two,” Coulson said. “Are we eating upstairs?”

“I thought it’d be easier on Tony. We’ll start small on the walking and see if we can get some strength built back up for him,” Barton said. “Can you grab my plate? I couldn’t find a larger tray anywhere in here.”

“Yeah, I’ll be right behind you.”  
**  
“Where’s Clint?” Tony asked later in the day. “I haven’t seen him since he finished eating and ran out of here.”

“There’s a crew from SHIELD here working on the jet and he’s down with them,” Coulson said. “It turns out that he was right about that right engine and the plane should have been in for service, not flying.”

“Huh, so that means he left you to help me start walking again?” Tony said. “I don’t like being trapped in bed, I need to be out moving. I want to get better.”

Coulson smiled. “I know you do,” he said. “So why don’t we start with walking around the room and see how you feel after that?”

“Yeah, sounds good. How are we going to do this?”

“I’ll support you from the back and hold onto you so you don’t over-balance,” Coulson said. He helped Tony up out of the bed and settled in behind him. “This okay?”

“Yeah, feels good, actually,” Tony said. He leaned into the hug for a minute. “Can we test and see how strong my upper body is later? Like maybe get me a walker or something so I can get around on my own?”

“We’ll see,” Coulson smiled. “Step with your left foot first. Don’t shuffle, pick your foot up and put it down again. That’s it. Now your right. Slowly, Tony, it’s not a race.”

“Hey, you’re up,” Barton said as he came into the room. “Phil, they got the engine working again, but they need me to go along to listen. Seems that Fury trusts my ears more than he trusts the mechanics and their equipment.”

Tony looked back over his shoulder. “Vision and hearing, Barton?” he asked. “You got any other super skills you’re keeping quiet about?”

“Yeah, but you won’t get to know about them until you’re better,” Barton replied with a wink. “You guys want me to bring anything back for supper?”

“Don’t even start,” Coulson said. “Tony’s getting soup and we’re having pasta. There will be no junk food in this house until everyone is feeling a hundred percent.”

“Spoilsport,” Barton grinned. “I’ll be back in a few hours. You guys have fun.”

“Okay, now that was weird,” Tony said. “Didn’t that seem weird to you, Agent?”

Coulson sighed. “Barton was prowling last night, Tony,” he said. “Step with your left again. He only prowls when he’s upset about something, but he won’t tell me what’s wrong.”

“What happened? He was fine when we went to bed last night. I didn’t kick him or something, did I? I don’t remember a lot of last night.” Tony stepped forward again and paused at the window. He could just see the jet lifting up off the sand, Barton in the pilot seat. “JARVIS will be able to tell us what happened. He records everything, just dumps most of it when the day is over because it’s not needed.”

“Agent Barton asked me to keep a secret for him, Sir,” JARVIS said. “He doesn’t wish to stress you unduly whilst you are recovering.”

“Yeah, well screw that,” Tony said. “I told him I didn’t want to be treated like I was going to break and if I made a mistake then I want to know it. He shouldn’t be hiding things just because I was attacked again.”

“Back towards the bed,” Coulson said. “Take it slowly. This is how Clint is, Tony. He’ll hide everything away and never tell you anything. I’ve learned his tells, but it’s taken me so many years to get through all his layers to who he really is. Natasha managed it too, but I’ve never seen him let anyone so close so fast as he did with you.”

“We have a lot of things in common,” Tony said. “I think that’s the basis for a lot of it. Hell, I’ve got a tower full of people and you and Clint are the only two I really want to have around. Well, other than Bruce. He’s my science brother. Anyway, the point here, JARVIS, is that you are part of the whole treating me normally and you know that I don’t know how to mind my own business. Tell me why Barton is so flighty today when he was fine yesterday.”

JARVIS almost sighed. It was a remarkably human noise for the AI to make, one that never failed to make Tony grin. “Your comment to him last night when he was carrying you to the bathroom, Sir,” JARVIS finally said. 

“I called him a romantic, that couldn’t have been all that bad,” Tony said. “Can we try to walk over to the bathroom, Agent?”

“Sit for a minute and rest, then we’ll see,” Coulson said. “Calling Barton romantic wouldn’t be enough to trigger a prowl. He likes doing things for people he considers friends, and he really seems to like carrying you around.”

“I believe it was less that he was being considered romantic and more your comment that you were unsure how he attracted Agent Coulson’s attention, Sir,” JARVIS said.

“Shit,” Tony said. “I did say that, didn’t I? Damn it.”

“That would do it,” Coulson said. “It’s not your fault, Tony. You didn’t know that anything like that is enough to set off one of his triggers. He’s really not comfortable in our relationship and it’s something I probably should have talked about with him before this.”

Tony flopped back onto the bed. “He said you guys have an open relationship, that he’d watched the two of us together.”

“It’s not open, not exactly,” Coulson replied. “There are times when SHIELD agents might have to sleep with a target or an informant in order to gain their trust. Barton never has, his skill set is different, but I’ve had to. I’ll admit there have been a few people that weren’t work related, but that was at the beginning when I still wasn’t sure what he wanted from the relationship. Ever since I worked out how much it bothers him, I’ve stopped. Even the assignments. You’re the first one I asked about, and he’s admitted that he wouldn’t be against trying for more with you, Tony. Not now, not when you’re recovering, but some day. When you feel ready.”

“What it really sounds like is the two of you need to sit down and talk,” Tony said. “Think who this is coming from. I hate talking about feelings. Why do you think I’ve never had a steady partner? Even with Pepper, I’d say things that weren’t appropriate and that’s what led to that fight right before everything fell apart in New York. You missed that fight, you were on the helicarrier. Even JARVIS commented on that fight. It was epic. Almost more epic than Hulk taking Loki out in my living room.”

“He’s the king of deflection,” Coulson said. “Come on, we can try for the bathroom now. I tried to get him to talk to me this morning and he insisted he was fine and didn’t want to cause stress while you were getting better.”

“If I may, Sir, Agent Barton commented to me last night that he is numb most of the time from all the pain he has faced in his past,” JARVIS interjected. “I am unsure if he means he doesn’t feel pain or if it just gets added on to whatever he has felt in the past. I attempted to gain his approval to summon you, Agent Coulson, but he said Mr. Stark needed you more and that he would be fine.”

Coulson sighed. “Yep, that’s Clint. Thanks for routing all of that to me last night, JARVIS,” he said. “He doesn’t know you did that, does he?”

“No, Sir.”

“He’s my AI, of course he’s sneaky and can get around rules,” Tony said. “I mean, come on, I programed him to think outside his casings. Okay, knee trying to give out here. Ow.”

“Maybe some bed exercises are better to start with,” Coulson said. He picked Tony up and carried him back to the bed. “I’ll see what I can come up with from all the times Barton’s been on bed rest for more than two weeks. I’m sure I still have a few of the files from medical.”

“That sounds good, yeah, maybe walking was a bit more than I can handle right now,” Tony said. “I’ve never been out for that long before. How much muscle have I lost?”

“Not as much as you would think,” Coulson replied. “It just seems like it because you’re having to get strength back in limbs that haven’t been working for a while. Normally we would have had you up and walking the whole time you were healing, but with you being catatonic, there was too much risk involved.”

“So, what’s happening at the Tower?” Tony asked. “I mean, I’m sure Fury’s got something going on back there, otherwise we’d probably have a lot more people around than we do right now.”

“Are you sure you want to hear about this, Tony?”

“I managed on my own last time, with just JARVIS to help out. I’m kinda playing it by ear here, Agent,” Tony said. “I don’t know what’s going to hurt or be a problem until it is because I’m not sure about my triggers.”

“That worries me more than it probably should, but if you want to hear, well, you proved on the jet that you aren’t going to break apart if we tell you something unpleasant,” Coulson said. “Thor’s back and he told Fury he could help. They’re going to do something with magic to Rogers, something that will either erase everything or bury it down deeply enough that we won’t have to worry about him trying to attack you again.”

Tony blinked a couple of times. “Right. Super soldier. Project for the good of the planet, we can’t just kill him off or lock him away forever,” he said. “Too many people would ask questions.”

“Especially as we’re not releasing the details of what happened in your lab,” Coulson said. “I’m fairly sure the rest of your team knows, but Fury won’t have told anyone at SHIELD or on the council about this. It’s not our place to tell anyone, Tony. Talking about the attack and rape is for you to choose the time and place, and people. If you want it kept secret for the rest of your life, then it’ll be kept secret. We have to figure out a way to keep Rogers on the team, with the team, and make everything seem normal when you guys are out fighting. We can move him back to the SHIELD apartments he had before if you want, but Thor seems to believe that he can clear the whole incident from Rogers’ mind.”

“Has anyone worked out why he did this?” Tony asked. “I know it wasn’t me. I did everything I could to get him away from me, not try and bring him closer in. I didn’t lead him on or tease him. At least I don’t think I did. JARVIS?”

“Your interactions with Steve Rogers were always blunt and to the point, Sir,” JARVIS said. “At no time did you give one of the numerous social indicators that would have shown you were interested in pursuing a sexual relationship with him.”

“Rogers told us why,” Coulson said. “I didn’t want to believe it, but Fury found notes backing the story up. Before you ask, Tony, no; I’m not telling you today. Give it a week or so. Rogers is going to have medical tests done once we’re sure he’s not going to talk to the wrong people and then we can talk about it more. You need to nap and I’ll see about finding some exercises for you to do in bed. When Clint’s back the two of you can swap stories and I’ll cook dinner.”  
**  
Barton tried to sneak in, he really did, but JARVIS spoiled it. “Welcome back, Agent Barton.”

“Damn it, JARVIS, what if Tony is asleep?” Barton asked.

“For the record, I’m not and I wasn’t,” Tony called from the living room. “I already had my morning nap, Barton, so get in here and entertain me. I can’t find anything fun on the TV and Agent won’t let me work.”

“Hey, you’re out of bed,” Barton said. He flopped down in a chair near the sofa. “How’d walking go?”

“Lousy and I don’t want to do it again. I’m just going to be delicate the rest of my life. You guys can carry me everywhere I need to go,” Tony said. He twisted around so he could look at Barton. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you got laid while you were out.”

“He must have seen the prototype for the new jet Fury just approved,” Coulson called from the kitchen.

“You get that excited over planes?” Tony asked. 

“It’s not just a jet, Stark,” Barton replied with a grin. “This baby is going to be epic and I’m the test pilot for her. Fury said that he needs someone with good sight to take her up on the first flights and I’ve got the best eyes in SHIELD. It does mean I’m going to have to go back to New York sooner than I thought I would. Are you going to be okay with just Phil around?”

“We could go with you,” Coulson said, appearing in the doorway. “When does Fury want you to report for training and specs?”

“End of next week,” Barton said. “They’re still working out a few bugs and the tech manuals won’t be ready before then.”

“What do you think, Tony?” Coulson asked. “Do you think you’d be able to go back to the Tower by then?”

Tony shrugged and pushed up into a sitting position. “We won’t know until we try,” he said. “I’ve got protocols on my penthouse that JARVIS can put into place so no one can get near me unless I want them to. It’d be good to have a safe place to run to if need be.”

“We’ll have to get you up to running then,” Barton said. “Phil, did you take him down to the pool at all?”

Coulson knocked his head against the wall. “I didn’t even think about it.”

“That’s where we need to start,” Barton said. “Working in the pool will be better than working on dry land for the first couple of weeks. Remember when I had surgery on my lower leg and they wouldn’t let me walk unless I was in water? That’s your key, Tony.”

“Why’d you have surgery on your leg?” Tony asked.

“Go ahead and tell him,” Coulson said. “It’s not like that Op isn’t used for teaching ‘What the hell to do in case of double agents 101’ anyway.”

“No,” Tony said. “No, I flat out refuse to believe that SHIELD has a class called that. No, it’s too silly. Wait, what am I saying, it’s probably Fury’s idea isn’t it? What the hell to they teach you in a class like that anyway?”

“Now that is classified,” Barton grinned. “You have to be a level six or higher, or a handler to take the class, but yeah, this one Op I was on went to hell so fast they use it as one of their teaching aids in the class. It was back before Natasha was with us and Phil and I were still feeling each other out.”

“Not like that,” Coulson said before Tony could open his mouth again. “Dinner will be ready in ten minutes, Clint. We’re going to watch a movie while we eat, so keep this brief.”

Barton watched him leave. “I bet he’s already got the movie picked out and ready to go too. Hey JARVIS, any hints?”

“No, Sir.”

“Spoilsport,” Barton said. “I was over in India, Tony, up north trying to get into Russia without anyone knowing where I was except for Fury, Coulson and a couple of informants I had in the city. I made it to my drop point and found an entire group of Russian soldiers waiting for me with some of the nastiest guns I’ve seen around. Turned out one of my informants worked for the Russian government and was pocketing fees from both SHIELD and the Russians. I managed to take out all but three of the men, I had the advantage of a mountain at my back and I can climb better than most, but one of the holdouts got a shot off and hit me in the leg. I fell, broke the same leg, and thought that was it when Coulson showed up. They got me extracted and into surgery, and I spent the next month healing up.”

“He’s neglecting to mention the broken arm, cracked ribs, ruptured spleen and concussion,” Coulson commented blandly from the doorway. “Clint, you want to come help me carry things in here?”

“Sure.” Barton hopped up and headed towards the kitchen.

“It’s good to see you in a better mood, even if I think you need a nap,” Coulson said softly when they were alone. 

“I napped on the flight back,” Barton said. “Fury’s got the helicarrier in the Midwest for some training involving tornadoes or something. I wasn’t paying too much attention to what Hill was telling me.”

Coulson sighed. “I’m sure I’ll hear about it when I call in my nightly report,” he said. “Do you think you’ll be able to sleep tonight?”

“Probably, but I won’t know until I try,” Barton said. He put drinks on the tray and looked around for silverware. “Forks?”

“Why would you make Tony eat soup with a fork?” Coulson asked, handing over two and a spoon.

“China,” Barton pointed out, referring to an Op they’d been on where things like forks and spoons weren’t exactly a luxury they’d been able to have with them at the time.

“Tony Stark’s living room is about as far from China as you can get,” Coulson pointed out. “Go take those in and come back for his soup. I’ll have everything ready.”

“You’re going to spoil us.”

“That’s not a bad thing in my book,” Coulson said. “Get moving. The movie won’t wait forever.”

“Given that no one will tell me what we’re watching, I think maybe it should,” Barton commented on his way back to the living room.


	12. Chapter 12

“Is this floaty thing really necessary?” Tony asked once they were in the pool. Neither of them wanted to sit through the end of the movie and fled to the pool as soon as Coulson would let them.

“Unless you got gills you’re not telling anyone about, yes,” Barton replied. “We need to get your legs back to being able to support you and, even with the water, I don’t think they’re going to just yet. You can try it if you want to.”

Tony stood up, let go of the float and sank under the water. He sputtered when Barton hauled him up. “Yeah, okay, that’s not cool. Not doing that again. Where’s the float?”

“You’ll get there, Tony,” Barton said with a soft smile. “Come on, let’s just swim slowly towards the wall. I’ll be right next to you the whole time.”

“I never thought I’d like swimming again, you know,” Tony commented as they moved. “Not after everything that happened to me in the caves and all, but it’s so relaxing that it’s nothing like what I went through. I’m not as fond of the ocean, there’s less control there, but this is nice. I could really get on board with this.”

“Sirs, Agent Romanov is here,” JARVIS said.

“Like in the pool area or in the house?” Tony asked, looking around.

“She’s on her way down with Agent Coulson,” JARVIS replied.

“Huh, okay,” Tony said. “Does this mean swim time is over with, Clint?”

Barton shook his head. “Nope, you need to be in here, it’s good for you,” he said. “You just might be changing swim partners is all.”

“Don’t take offense, but do you ever get tired of running around at Fury’s call?” Tony asked. “I mean, I know he’s like your unofficial dad and all that, but it seems like there’s a lot you do that you don’t tell anyone about.”

“I’m like you, Tony; I like to be busy,” Barton replied. “Hey Nat, what’s new?”

“Fury’s wondering when you’ll be able to be back in New York,” Natasha replied. She sat down in one of the chairs. “How are you doing, Tony?”

“Good. I’m good. I’m able to sleep and eat,” Tony said. “And for me, that’s a major accomplishment. Major.” He accidently lost his grip on the float and sank under the water again.

“We’re still working on muscle control,” Barton sighed, pulling Tony back up. “Should I find a float we can strap you to, Tony?”

“There’s a life vest in the closet just to the left of the main door, Sir,” JARVIS said.

“A life vest? Why would there be a life vest near my swimming pool?” Tony asked. “How do I even have something like that around, JARVIS?”

“Given that the last time you chose to swim here, you were drunk, I felt it necessary to take steps should you pass out in the swimming pool,” JARVIS said. “Dummy has full access to the pool and would be able to pull you out with the aid of the vest.”

Coulson sighed and shook his head. “What’s going on in New York that Fury wants us back, Natasha?”

“I think he wants to see if what Thor’s doing is taking and we can’t do that without Tony.”

“Wait, what Thor’s doing?” Barton asked. “What’s Thor doing? I missed something here.”

“You haven’t told him?” Natasha asked.

“He’s been gone all morning working with the jets,” Coulson replied. “Clint, Thor came back and, when he heard about what happened, he went to Fury with a suggestion. He’s going to use magic to seal away all of Rogers’ memories about this.”

“Mind control,” Barton said.

“Nothing like what Loki can do,” Coulson said. “Fury checked, this is different. We need to keep Rogers in the program, Clint. He’s too popular to just kill or lock away somewhere, there would be too many questions, and Fury doesn’t want to do that. Not now, at least.”

Barton pushed up out of the pool. “So you’re letting Thor play with Rogers’ mind?” he asked. “I’d kill the man before I let anyone go through something like that. Hell, you’d be doing him a favor if you did kill him now. No one deserves that sort of punishment.”

“Agent Barton, stand down,” Coulson snapped.

“No.” Barton pushed past him and ran up the stairs.

“He has left the house,” JARVIS said.

“I’ll go,” Natasha said. “Tony, it’s up to you, but we miss you. Come back when you’re ready?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be there,” Tony said. “Coulson, you think you can help me out of here and into the shower? JARVIS, keep tabs on Barton for us.”

Coulson moved to the stairs and pulled Tony up to sit on the edge. “Stay here, I’ll get a towel,” he said. “I should have found another way to tell Clint about what Fury’s up to.”

“Yeah, you probably should have,” Tony said. “Has he really handled what happened to him with Loki as well as we all thought he had, or has he been hiding away from everyone all this time?”

“Probably hiding away,” Coulson said. “I hate to say it, Tony, but right now you’re doing better than he is, which is not what I was expecting given how upset you were when you woke up.”

“I’m more used to hiding my emotions away, dealing with them on my own,” Tony said as he was helped to his feet. “Are we trying walking again? It’s not that far to the shower, I might be able to make it, but I wouldn’t mind if you carried me again. I had to deal with so much on my own for so long because no one could look at me and see what I needed. Clint’s been able to do that, you do it, but no one else seems to be able to. Why is that? Why are you guys so good at seeing when no one else is?”

“He’s just got remarkable eyes and has made a habit of studying people his whole life,” Coulson said. “It’s easier to avoid a beating when you can see what people are really thinking. He’s been able to see what people are trying to hide for as long as I’ve known him, which has been an advantage to SHIELD. Fury’s encouraged Clint to sit out and just watch people, take notes and report back in. He does it everywhere we go now.”

“So how do we show him that this isn’t the end of the world?” Tony asked. He settled onto the floor of the shower with a sigh. “I know he wants to be the one taking care of me, but I can’t see him hurting like this. Do you think Natasha will be able to bring him back?”

Coulson finished undressing and stepped into the shower with Tony. “Clint will come back on his own when he’s ready because he wants to help you,” he said. “He’ll be happy and acting like nothing happened because being upset could hurt you. Natasha’s the best one to talk to him about this though. Those two are closer than blood siblings could be, she knows his triggers almost better than I do.”

“Because they have similar lives,” Tony said. “You know, Agent, being able to be around nude men probably shows that I’m okay.”

“It shows you trust Clint and me not to hurt you, Tony, not that you’re going to be okay once we take you back to the Tower,” Coulson said. He poured shampoo onto Tony’s head and started to work up a lather. “I’ll believe you’ve totally worked past the trauma when you’re not having nightmares, can sleep through the night and be in the same room as Rogers without breaking into a cold sweat.”

“That last one, that might be tricky,” Tony said. “I don’t want to be alone with him again. I can’t, I don’t trust him anymore. This is going to be impossible, isn’t it? He’s going to get magicked and be fine and I’m going to remember everything and the stress is going to pull the team apart. This is a really bad idea, Agent. I don’t think there’s any way that this could work out for the good of everyone.”

“I agree with you, but Fury wants to try this first,” Coulson said. “Tip your head back and close your eyes. Barton isn’t going to leave you alone once we’re back in New York, and if he has to be somewhere, or if the two of us have to leave, we’ll make sure Natasha is still at the Tower. We’ll work on the glass around your lab in New York, make sure that it’s unbreakable and, if you want, I bet that Barton will teach you how to get around the vents.”

“I don’t. It’s too easy to be trapped in something like that,” Tony said. “Your Barton’s handler, I know the two of you are going to have to go on Ops together. Going places that I wouldn’t be able to go along with you, but I don’t know how safe I’ll feel if I have to stay in the Tower with the rest of the team. Even with places I can hide, it was attacked in my lab. A place where I spend all my time. If he could get to me in the lab, how can I be sure that he won’t try and get to me there again?”

Coulson nodded. “What would we have to do to make you feel safe in your lab at the Tower, Tony?” he asked. 

“I don’t know,” Tony admitted. “JARVIS can lock people out of the lab if I ask him to, but there are other ways in. The door isn’t Hulk proof, and I don’t think it’s actually Captain America proof. I haven’t tried to work out how strong he actually is, what it would take to lock him out of a room. There’s access points and the vents. I don’t want to lock off the vents, that’s how Clint likes to get around and I want him in the lab. There’s just too much I don’t know.”

“We’re here to help you,” Coulson said. “Come on, let’s get you up to the sofa and you take a nap while I contact Natasha and make sure she’s found Hawkeye. That’s who ran out of here, you know. Every wall he had was up in place. That was full Hawkeye, not Clint. I’ll see if she can get him back here and we’ll talk with JARVIS about making the lab better when you wake up.”


	13. Chapter 13

Barton didn’t think about where he was going when he ran, he just ran. He barely registered sand under his bare feet and, when he saw the evergreen tree looking out of place at the edge of the beach, he was up it before he realized he was going to climb. It was how he always hid, finding as high a place as he possibly could and making himself small. He couldn't believe, after everything that they'd seen with Loki, what had happened to both him and Phil, that Fury would even think about using mind control on Rogers. Barton hadn't been lying. It would be better to just kill the other man rather than put him through losing a part of himself.

"Clint."

He stayed quiet. It made sense that Natasha would be the one to follow him. There were days when he thought that he'd never be able to escape from her, even if he wanted to. That she would always be able to find him. He saw her sit down at the base of the tree and cursed himself. His footprints would have led her right to the tree.

"Yeah, I know you're up there, Clint," she said. "I just want to make sure you're not going to hurt yourself is all. Look, Clint, I've seen what Thor's been doing with Rogers and it's nothing like what Loki did to you."

"You know that, do you?" he asked.

"Their magic is different," she replied. "Thor explained it to Bruce and me before he started. Loki isn't even an Asgardian, he's from another realm so his magic is different and, when combined with the staff and the tesseract, they're far more powerful. He used the power of the cube to influence you, Clint. It wasn't Loki's magic that took you, it was the cube. We didn't know it at the time, but the cube is from Loki's homeworld so he has a natural affinity for it, one that Odin tried to hide for centuries, if Thor is to be believed."

"No one should have to suffer having their minds warped by magic," he said.

"Thor isn't warping Rogers' mind, he's doing a little rearranging is all," Natasha said. "He told us he'd go in and find everything related to the attack, the wager and debt between Rogers and Howard Stark, and lock it away deeply within Rogers' mind where no one will ever be able to find it. There's no way to take the memories out, so we'll always have to be alert if we battle with magic users because they might be able to unlock what Thor's doing, but he doesn't think so. Thor's a prince and his magic is alien to us, so we should be safe."

"One hit on the head could undo everything. You proved that."

"I mentioned that and Thor said that the hit to the head knocked the cube's hold loose, not Loki's magic. You had to fight past that on your own, which you were able to do once the cube cut you loose," Natasha said. "When pressed he said the only way his cure could fail would be if he took it off, or if someone from his home with more power than he has in this form of magic released it. Loki's magic is different and Thor's people stay away by treaty, so Tony should be safe."

"Safe. He won't feel safe for years." Barton shifted higher up in the tree. "Not as long as Fury lets Rogers stay in the Tower."

"Unfortunately we have to, for now. The public is paying too much attention to us to lose Captain America," Natasha sighed. "It's possible an accident could be staged during a battle, but the super soldier program isn't really understood too well right now, so there's no way to know for sure what could actually kill him."

Barton snorted. "One of my exploding arrows to the back would do just fine," he said.

"Friendly fire is too obvious. Clint, we're going to have to give him a chance to prove himself again. Thor swears Rogers won't remember any of this, and he'll be wondering why the team is treating him differently."

"Not a chance in hell. He goes nowhere near Tony, Nat," Barton said. "I don't care about his feelings or his damn pride. You didn't watch Tony for three weeks. You haven't heard him crying from the nightmares or watched him try to put on a strong face so no one knows anything is wrong. This is Rogers fault and I'm never going to forgive him for this."

"Have you thought about what your little display did to Tony?"

"Phil will explain."

"Still is pretty selfish of you, running and hiding like this when Tony needs your help."

"It's not going to work, Natasha. I know what you're doing and it's not working," Barton said. "Go back inside and report. I'll be fine."

"I doubt that and so does Phil."

Barton bit back a sigh. "Tony's the one who needs your help right now, not me. I've been cleared for full duty."

"That's why you have all your walls up, is it?" Natasha asked. "You're fooling only yourself, Clint. This isn't you, this is Hawkeye and you're hiding away again."

"Yeah, so what?"

"Seeing Hawkeye is going to hurt Tony."

"Tony isn't going to see Hawkeye. I'm not stupid enough to do something like that."

"You were stupid enough to lock yourself away before you ran out of the pool area where you were supposed to be helping Tony. You're only thinking about yourself right now, Clint, and that's not going to work. Our focus needs to be on Tony and what's going to happen once we're back in New York."

Barton dropped down in front of her. "You don't know anything," he hissed. "Leave me alone."

Natasha sighed and watched Barton vanish down the beach towards the cliffs. She could track him, but it would be harder now that he knew she was on his trail. She turned back towards the house; if he wasn't back by nightfall, she'd go looking for him.  
***

"Natasha?" Coulson called when JARVIS announced she was back in the house.

"He ran again," she said. "I don't think I handled that as well as I could have, Coulson. He hasn't run from me like that in years."

"You tried."

"Yeah, but I think it might have been better for you to go. I tried to explain what's going on, the difference in Thor's magic and what Loki did, but it's like he wasn't listening," Natasha said. "He said one of his exploding arrows could solve our problems, Coulson."

"That is an incomplete report," JARVIS said quietly over the earpiece Coulson was wearing. "I have sensors as far out as they were talking and have the whole conversation recorded. I believe it best that Agent Romanov return to New York. When she is gone, I believe Agent Barton will return."

"I'll talk to him, Natasha," Coulson said. "Did Fury want you to stay out here, or are you heading back?"

"Heading back. I've got an Op that I have to get ready for," she said. "The Director wants you to call him when you have a minute free."

Coulson nodded. "I'll do that once I have Tony settled down."

"Is he okay?"

"Sleeping is still an issue. I was making him some hot chocolate when you came back," Coulson said. "He'll be fine, it'll just take time and some new inventions in the Tower. Who's your handler on the Op?"

"One of the new kids. I think part of it is me evaluating him."

"Don't break him," Coulson said. "Be safe, Natasha. We'll see you when you get back."

"Tell Clint to call me when he gets back, will you?"

"Sure."

Natasha nodded and left. She never said good-bye if she could avoid it. Coulson leaned against the counter and sighed. "Play it for me, JARVIS."

"Yes, Sir."

Coulson listened to the conversation and winced a few times. That was not how he would have tried to talk Barton down, and wasn't sure why Natasha had gone that route with him. "This is a mess, JARVIS," he said when the recording was finished.

"Indeed. If I may, Sir. When we were attempting to locate an element that would power the arc reactor, Mr. Stark and I developed a few new materials that he hasn't released to anyone. It is possible one of them may be strong enough to become the new walls and door to the lab in the Tower."

"I'll talk to Tony about it," Coulson said. "Thanks, JARVIS. Will you let me know when Barton is home?"

"Yes, Sir."


	14. Chapter 14

"Sir, Agent Barton is on the roof," JARVIS reported.

"The roof?" Tony asked, looking around. "Why would he be on the roof? Why not just come inside?"

"He's trying to put everything away in his mind before he comes in so he can help you, Tony," Coulson said. "The best thing you can do is just be patient. He'll come in when he's ready."

"You know he's really going to be mad about this, right?"

"I don't know what else to do. If Clint isn't going to listen to me, this is my last chance to help him before he gets recalled. I have to try."

Tony sighed and settled back into the pillows behind him. He didn't like being stuck in bed, but Coulson had relented enough to let him have his StarkPad and they were working on redesigning the lab in the Tower. "If it doesn't work, let me try before you let Fury take him away?"

"I'll try," Coulson said.  
***

Barton sat down on the roof and stared out at the water. He wasn't ready to go back into the house and deal with people, he was still feeling too raw from that afternoon, and he didn't want to hurt Tony more by leaving himself exposed. "Director?"

"Nope, just here as Nick tonight." Fury sat down next to Barton with a sigh. "Nice view from up here, but it's kinda cold. Any reason you picked this perch, Hawk?"

"JARVIS knows I'm here and can let me know if Tony's in danger," Barton replied. "Why are you here, Sir?"

"Phil called and said you had a few issues with how we're handling the situation back in New York," Fury said. He held up a hand. "I understand why you're having the issues, Hawk, don't think that I don't, but you understand killing Rogers isn't a viable option at this time."

"Yes, Sir," Barton said. "But you'll find magic isn't the cure-all you're expecting it to be."

"How would you have handled it?"

"Depends on where the initiative is right now," Barton said. "Relocating Rogers to a secure SHIELD location with fast transport in case of emergencies or call-outs would have been my first step. If that would raise too many questions, he could be placed on a secure floor of the Tower and monitored by guards, myself and JARVIS in rotation. He'd be allowed to go out and fight, because people expect to see Captain America, but the rest of the time he'd be serving time, just like any other rapist in the nation."

"He was able to rip open a pressure sealed door on the helicarrier, Hawk," Fury said. "I don't think there's anywhere we could put him immediately that would hold him safely. We've been using the emergency room for the Hulk, but that's short term at best. Dr. Banner needs to know that's available to him at any time to remain with us. We no longer have the prison on the helicarrier, and there would be too much talk if we put Captain America in there."

"Nick, you've had him for almost a month, that's plenty of time to build another basic Hulk-proof emergency room at the Tower," Barton said. "You still should. We need to have that in case this magical crap Thor's doing backfires on us and Rogers suddenly remembers that he owns Tony."

"We still haven't told Stark about that, Hawk, although I know that both Phil and JARVIS know about it," Fury said. "We're worried about what his reaction would be. How's he doing?"

"Better than he has any right to be given what he's gone through. I can't speak for how he'll be once he's back in New York at the Tower, especially if Rogers has free reign there, but here he seems to be doing okay," Barton said. "He needs at least two weeks of time in the pool and then up that to pool and gym, but I think he can be back in fighting form by the end of the month. Tony says he doesn't know his triggers and that's a problem, but one Coulson and I can handle if it crops up."

"If the problem pops up in the middle of a battle, what then?" Fury asked.

"I don't think it will. Thor's the only one who is strong enough to do real damage to the suits Tony wears," Barton replied. "Tony would be able to blast out of there before Rogers could do anything to hurt him. I'll spot it if the shield is thrown at him and can shoot it off target. You know I see everything during a battle."

Fury nodded. "I do, and I trust you on this one, Hawk," he said. "I need you to trust me that magic is the only option we have right now. How do you think Tony would react if we didn't do this, if we just put Rogers in lockdown, and Rogers told the media at one of the press conferences? We can't keep him away from those, people would ask too many questions. It's one thing to keep the Council and our people happy, it's another to try and hide a national icon away. We need to be sure that Rogers isn't going to talk."

"I still say it's going to backfire on you, Sir," Barton said. "Trust someone who's been there."

"You really scared Phil when you ran out today,you know. He thought you were going to go to ground for a few days."

"I can't, not when Tony needs me. I'm just trying to get settled so I can go back in and talk with Tony," Barton said. "I know I'm going to have to answer some questions for him, and I'm not really looking forward to that."

"He's worried about you, so's Phil. So am I, if you want to know the truth. I thought you'd managed to shake a few of these concerns, Hawk. You're not telling me everything."

"As long as I'm fit for duty, Sir, that's what matters."

"No, what matters is that you're healthy and happy, Hawk," Fury said. "We've talked about this. You've been through more than a lot of SHIELD agents have and I know that causes you some sleepless nights. The things you should never doubt are your place with us, that Phil Coulson is head over heals in love with you, and that you are a strong, loyal man. That's all you need to know."

"Yes, Sir."

"All right, I'm going down. It's too damn cold up here. Come down before you get sick, you hear me?"

"Yes, Sir."

Fury sighed and headed down off the roof. Barton was one of the three most stubborn people he knew and Fury knew that he'd heard everything, including the unspoken words between them. He just hoped it would be enough to help. There was one last thing to work out, and that was what the hell was up with Natasha.


	15. Chapter 15

"Hey, JARVIS didn't tell me you were back," Tony said when Barton came in through the balcony door.

"Thought I'd see how much of a challenge it is to get in here from the roof," Barton grinned. "How are you doing, Tony?"

"I know I should feel sleepy, but I'm not. I'm actually kinda scared to try and go to sleep because I don't know what I'm going to dream," Tony admitted. "Coulson is downstairs handling Fury, so I'll admit I'm really glad you're back."

Barton sat down on the free side of the bed. "I've got an earpiece in, Tony. JARVIS has been in touch with me all day today. If you'd needed me, I was right above you and would have been here in two seconds," he said. "You saw how easily I dropped down from the roof."

"Could anyone else manage that?"

"They'd have to get past some tricks I left up there," Barton grinned. "You do know that JARVIS is really very devious, don't you?"

"It's how I programmed him," Tony said. He rolled onto his side. "Clint, you want to talk?"

"Not really," Barton said. "If I tell you what I went through there's a chance it'll roll right into your nightmares and make them worse and I'm not doing that to you, Tony. You deal with everything you've been through first and then maybe we can talk."

"You should take your own advice, Barton," Coulson commented from the doorway. "You need to shower to warm up before you even think about going to bed. Director Fury said it was cold up on the roof."

Barton grinned. "I've sat through worse in my day."

"But never in just your swimming suit," Coulson said. 

"Oh, come on, you mean you've forgotten about Poland?" Barton asked. "On that op, Tony, I ended up in a sniper nest completely nude in January. I thought some very important things were going to freeze off before I made my shot and spent the next week in the shower trying to warm up."

"As best I can recall, you had socks," Coulson said, moving to join the pair on the bed. He perched on the end and crossed his legs, leaning forward.

"You never asked where I was wearing those sock, Sir," Barton said. 

"How do we never hear these stories back at the Tower?" Tony asked. "You two could keep us entertained for weeks with just mission teasing, never mind full reports."

"A lot of our missions have been classified by Fury," Coulson pointed out. "Technically we're not supposed to mention them, but there are parts that can be talked about if we're in company we trust or if they have a high enough security clearance."

"The parts of me that you're wanting to talk about are at a higher clearance than most," Barton said. He winked at Tony. "Fine, I'll go shower and change for bed. Tony, you good or do you need a wash?"

"Agent took care of me after I was done swimming," Tony said. "He even broke down enough to let me have hot chocolate in a misguided attempt to get me to take a nap."

"I forgot how much caffeine can end up in hot chocolate," Coulson said. "He was wired. I could use a shower, Clint, if you don't mind?"

"Just don't push," Barton said. "Tony, you okay for both of us to go shower?"

"Yeah, go on, just don't do anything I wouldn't do," Tony said. "JARVIS will keep me company."

"Of course, Sir."

Barton hopped off the bed and headed towards the shower. Tony watched him go and sighed. "What do you think, J?"

"He is as good at hiding his thoughts and emotions as you are, Sir," JARVIS said. "I believe that Agent Coulson is going to speak with him about earlier today."

"Yeah, good, let me know if there's something I need to know," Tony said.

"Yes, Sir."  
***

"Clint, I need to tell you something important," Coulson said as they stepped into the large shower.

"What's up?"

"It's Natasha," Coulson said. "When she came back after talking with you at the tree, she gave me an incomplete and biased report. Do you have any idea why she would do something like that?"

"What'd she tell you?" Barton passed over the shower gel and picked up the shampoo for himself.

"That you said one exploding arrow would take care of our problems," Coulson said. "JARVIS, fortunately, had sensors all the way out there and recorded the exchange so I know what was said by both of you. Clint, that's not what I would have wanted you to hear today. You knew that Tony needed you, but you had to go or you would have hurt him. I know that and Tony knows that. He's worried about you too, but won't press. You can talk to us in your own time. I just want you to know that I love you, I want you with me forever and I don't care who knows about it."

"What about Tony?" Barton asked.

"He's going to need us for a long time, but I think he loves us as much as he knows how," Coulson said. "The pair of you are so alike it's really amazing to me at times. If you're open to the idea, and only if you really want him there, I'd like to have Tony be a part of our lives as well, but it's your decision. I'm not going to love you less if you say no, and I'm not going to leave you or cheat on you if you say no."

Barton nodded. "What's going to happen when we're back in New York, Phil?" he asked. "Fury's planning to turn Rogers loose in the Tower again. You're going to have to pry me away from Tony with a tire iron if that happens."

"I know," Coulson said. "I'm not happy with how this is being handled either, but we have to give it a try. Tony and I took a look at the lab in the Tower and think we can reinforce the walls to make them strong enough that Rogers can't break in, but he's worried about the vents. He doesn't want to shut them off because you love them so much."

"That's easy enough, put biometrics on the vent access points and code them to me," Barton said. He rinsed the conditioner he'd never admit to using out of his hair and switched places with Coulson. "JARVIS would control them so there would be no way to override them without taking him down, and if anyone takes him down, we've got more problems than just Rogers."

"I like that idea," Coulson said. "Suggest it to Tony, I think it'll make him feel safer. Before today I was going to have Natasha watch Tony if you and I both had to be away from the Tower at the same time, but now I don't know what to think."

"I don't either," Barton sighed. "I'll ask Nick if we can bring Tony up to the Helicarrier with us and leave him in one of the labs for however long we're gone. Short term solution at best, but after the attack in his lab, you know he's not going to feel safe alone in there. Not for a long time."

"Yeah, but you know that Nick isn't going to let Tony Stark near a SHIELD base for any reason."

"Might get us fewer missions," Barton pointed out with a grin.

"Somehow I think that's not a good idea. There are some missions that only you and I can do, Clint. We have to both stay ready for things like that, even as part of the Avengers."

"Yeah, I know. I'll see if there's anyone I trust enough to be Tony's bodyguard if we both have to leave." Barton turned off the water and grabbed two towels. "I don't know if there is, but I can at least look."

Coulson rubbed his hair briskly and started to dry off. "I think it's Tony who has to make the final call on who he trusts enough to be alone with him."

"I know, but if I can at least have a hand in that, I'll feel safer leaving him alone if there's a mission."

"I think Nick's going to keep us close to home for a while until things settle down at the Tower again," Coulson said. "You've got the jets to test out anyway, and Tony and I can come watch you do that. It'll get him out in the air and let him see you doing something you love."

"He won't come until he's able to walk on his own," Barton said. "I'll take him back down to the pool in the morning and start putting him through some serious therapy. Today was just a warm-up for him."

"Should I alert him to this fact, Sir?" JARVIS asked.

"What, and spoil all the fun?" Barton said. He grinned when the AI sighed.


	16. Chapter 16

"You never told me you're part fish, Barton," Tony grumbled as they made a turn and started another slow lap in the pool. A slow lap for Tony, at any rate. Barton was swimming, diving and doing what looked like flips while he was watching Tony.

"I like how water makes you feel kinda weightless," Barton replied with a grin. "You're not getting sore, are you?"

"No, but if you want to sit in the hot tub after this, I would not object," Tony said.

"Three more laps and we can move over there. So, did Coulson fill you in on my idea for the vents?"

"No."

"How hard would it be to get biometric locks put in place on the grates in your lab?" Barton asked. "Keyed to me and controlled by JARVIS. You know that if he has control over the locks no one is going to find a way around them."

Tony fell silent, thinking about it. He'd already had JARVIS start up the fabrication units at the Tower and sent instructions on what he wanted made for the walls and the door. Biometric locks were a good idea, and if he could put one on the door as well, it would take out the possibility of anyone getting a quick override to them. "I like that," he finally said. "JARVIS has ultimate control over the doors, but I think I might put one on the door too. What do you think, JARVIS?"

"I believe it to be a sound idea, Sir," JARVIS said. "I have already rewritten the protocols as to who is allowed in your lab in the Tower to include Agents Barton and Coulson, Dr. Banner, Ms. Potts, and Director Fury. Did you wish Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes to be included as well?"

"Yeah, go ahead and add him back in," Tony said. "Also add in that if they are accompanied by anyone not on the approved list, the door is not to open. Not without a verbal override from me or Agents Barton and or Coulson."

"Yes, Sir," JARVIS said. "In addition, Sir, I have made your floor of the Tower accessible by only one of the elevators from the common areas and that elevator will only open for you, Ms. Potts, Agents Barton and Coulson. Do you wish anyone else added to that protocol?"

"No, that's good, JARVIS. You're thinking ahead of me and that's good," Tony said. "I don't want anyone else in my personal space, and honestly, if I didn't think she'd kill me, I'd take Pepper off of there, but she's scary when she can't get to me easily. What do you think, Barton. Anything else we're not thinking of?"

"The vent network runs up to your floor," Barton said. "I explored it, but never made any changes up that high. You're going to want to put locks on the grates up there too."

"Make a note, J," Tony said. He stopped and leaned against the wall for a minute. "Let me catch my breath, Clint. This is harder than it sounded when you suggested it. I'll have to look at the plans to be sure, but I don't think there are any other ways onto my floor. JARVIS will let me know if anyone is trying to break into what's now my private elevator and I'm not planning to spend any time on the common floor unless I absolutely have to. JARVIS, is there a way that elevator can run to the floor my lab is on and up to my floor?"

"Not with how the Tower is currently designed, Sir," JARVIS replied. "We would have to have a new elevator installed for that. Would you like me to place the work order to have it done by the time you return?"

"Yeah, go ahead and do that. You know the construction group I work with for my personal spaces," Tony said. "You'd like these guys, Barton. They're just about as crazy as I am. JARVIS, while they're in the Tower, get them to start placing the newly fabricated panels on the lab walls. Outside, don't let them into the lab for any reason."

"Of course, Sir," JARVIS said. "I shall ask if Doctor Banner can help Dummy get the panels out into the hallway where they'll be needed."

"You're an angel, J," Tony said. He let the float take his weight again and started on his second to last lap. "What do you think, Barton. Am I crazy for going back?"

Barton joined him on the lap, swimming backwards so he could face Tony. "A little, but I think you're brave too. You're going to face up to Rogers, even if it's not directly the instant we're back in New York," he said. "You're willing to go back to where you were attacked and take up the fight again. We're going to make you as safe as we can, but ultimately, it's going to be all up to you."

"He's not going to remember any of this, is he?"

"They say he's not, but I'm not convinced it'll last. I told Nick last night that this is a mistake and one that's going to come back to bite us when they're not expecting it," Barton said. "That's why I'm going to be glued to you unless you're in your suit. Think you can live with that?"

"Yeah, I think that makes me feel better," Tony said. "What about Agent?"

"He'll be around, but he's got more work for SHIELD than I do. We'll find time for ourselves, Tony, you're not going to come between our relationship," Barton said. "Not unless you really want to, and then we'll have to talk more before we do anything."

"I can't believe the two of you are still thinking about adding me to the mix," Tony said. "I'm no good at relationships. Ask anyone."

"Has anyone ever really given you a chance?" Barton asked. "Tony, you saw me yesterday. I run when I get scared, I prowl around at night when I'm upset and can't sleep and, if you'd asked me back when Phil and I got together, I would have told you I'm crap at relationships. I still am, but I know Phil knows my flaws and he understands them. That's the most important part, you know. Understanding the other person's flaws and being able to forgive them when they come back."

"You guys didn't do anything fun in the shower last night, did you?" Tony asked. "That's the last one. Hot tub now?"

"Sure," Barton grinned. He helped Tony out of the pool and carried him to the hot tub. "JARVIS, can you turn it on for us, please?"

"Yes, Sir."

Tony almost groaned at how good the water felt on his sore muscles. He knew he was getting back in shape, but he hadn't been counting on how sore he'd be while he was doing it. "That feels wonderful. I might just stay here for the rest of the day, turn into a total prune and never move again. Can you feed me here?"

"No, but we can come back later tonight if you want," Barton said. "Tony, did you ever stop to think that a relationship with Phil and me is pretty much what we've got now, but there would be sex added in to the mix?"

"That's where I have problems," Tony said. "Say that I top you, where's Agent during this?"

"Holding me or under me," Barton said. "Remember, Phil and I are pretty flexible when it comes to positions in bed."

"You phrased it like that on purpose."

"Maybe a little. It's not really a factor right now because you're still healing up and we won't add sex into the mix until we're sure you're doing better," Barton said. "We'll be happy to sleep on your floor with you if you want us to though, won't we, Phil?"

"I wish I knew how you did that," Coulson commented. "JARVIS told me you two were done for the day."

"We are, we're relaxing," Tony said. "You could join us, you know. Too much paperwork is bad for you."

"Later, I've got a phone conference in ten minutes with Director Fury," Coulson said. "Tony, do you feel like you might be able to try something a little more solid at lunch today?"

"Yeah, I think so," Tony replied. "As long as it's not like fish or anything."

"I was thinking pasta with a light coating of cheese," Coulson said.

"That sounds good," Tony said. "Especially the cheese. When can I have cheeseburgers again?"

"Maybe by the end of the week," Coulson said. "You're healing well, Tony."

Tony nodded towards Barton. "That's because I have such a wonderful nurse taking care of me," he said. "I do feel like I could nap."

"That's our cue to get out and shower then," Barton said. "I'll tuck you in and meet up with Phil. I imagine part of this phone conference is about getting us back to New York. You can only be hidden away for so long, Tony."

"Yeah, but what are we going to have to show for me being gone? Super strong panels for glass walls. I don't think that's what Pepper is expecting."

"We might be able to do something with them," Coulson said. "You focus on getting better and let me talk with JARVIS, Tony. Barton, I'll be in the kitchen after my meeting. You can help me with lunch."

Barton saluted, just to annoy Coulson. "I'll be there, Sir," he said.

"Smart ass," Coulson muttered fondly.


	17. Chapter 17

"Hey there sleepyhead, how do you feel?" Barton asked when Tony woke up from his nap.

"Restless," Tony admitted, pushing up into a sitting position. For some reason he was getting strength back in his arms faster than he was his legs and it was frustrating. "I want to go down to my lab. Can I go down to my lab here? I promise to be good."

"In a minute," Barton said. He put his tablet to the side and turned to face Tony. "Nick and Phil asked me to talk to you about a couple of things, Tony. You said you don't know where your triggers are, but if anything we're talking about even touches on something that makes you feel uncomfortable, sick, or angry tell me so I can make a note on it."

"Yeah, sure, easy enough. What's up?"

"First of all, Nick wants to know if you think you'd be able to head back this weekend," Barton started. "It sounds like Pepper is starting to ask for you, and he doesn't want to make her mad."

"JARVIS, where are we with Tower renovations?" Tony asked.

"Your lab has been completed, Sir," JARVIS replied. "The new elevator is taking slightly longer, as are the new locks. I believe you will have to create the locks once you are back in residence at the Tower as the fabrication units seem to be lost."

"You have direct control over the door to the lab, Barton will be with me, I can manage a week without those locks, and it won't take me that one to have them created and installed," Tony said. "So, yeah, good enough. The idea of going back to the Tower makes my heart try to run out of my chest, but I have to face it some time, so why not get it over with."

"They're not planning to have Rogers loose when we get back, Tony," Barton said. "We want to get you settled in and then they'll see where he is on these so-called special treatments he's getting from Thor. Natasha is on an op, so Banner and Thor will be the only ones there to welcome you home. Can you live with that?"

"I won't know until I try it," Tony said. "I doubt that Bruce is going to trigger any problems. He seems to be able to really read people and I know he's not going to push for anything that will make me uncomfortable."

Barton nodded. "He figured out what happened, Tony, just like we figured he would. It's probably a good thing Rogers is where he is. Banner tried to murder him and Banner really doesn't need that kind of guilt weighing on him," he said. "I promise I'll be glued to you at the Tower and, if I have to be gone for any reason, Phil will be with you."

"What happens when you both have to be gone?" Tony asked.

"We're still working on that," Barton replied. "I'd like to find you a guard that you feel comfortable with, Coulson thinks that between the reinforced lab and private elevator, which, by the way, we're making a few adjustments to once we're there so no one can try and get into the elevator shaft from another level, along with your secure penthouse, you can have Banner as your guard and still feel safe."

"I don't know, I really don't," Tony said. "I thought I was safe in my lab, and then I was attacked and I just, I don't know." He took a deep breath. "I suppose I could always come out here, or buy a place that no one knows about and go there to hide while you're gone."

Barton moved over and put a hand on Tony's arm carefully. He didn't think his touch would trigger a flashback, but he wanted to be careful just in case. Tony rolled over and cuddled up against Barton's chest. "Phil's having us taken off missions for a few months, Tony," Barton said softly. "I'll be testing the jets, but you can come with us for that one and we might even convince Nick to let you into one of the labs if you promise to keep JARVIS out of the system."

"I'd like to watch you fly," Tony admitted.

"You can do that, too," Barton said. "You'll have the clearance by the time we're in test flight mode. Nick's working on it now. Tony, there's something else I need to tell you."

Tony looked up at him. "This must be really bad if you're hesitating so much. What happened?"

"Rogers told Fury and Coulson why he attacked you, Tony," Barton said slowly. "Coulson didn't believe it and asked for tests to be run to make sure that Rogers didn't have a tumor in his brain, or some problem left over from the super soldier project, but all those tests came back as negative. This, somehow, is something no one noticed about Rogers before he went into the ice, and it's something we all missed when he was found."

"This is really not sounding good. What happened?"

"During the war your father played poker with Rogers," Barton said. "Fury found Howard's notes. I don't know how you didn't see them, but in one of the notebooks on Captain America there's a note that Howard lost one night and promised Rogers anything he wanted when the war was over."

"He didn't promise me though, did he? Howard wasn't that bad of a father," Tony said softly.

"No, he didn't promise his child or children," Barton said. "I don't really know anything about your dad, but he was probably thinking a house or a car or something like that."

"Yeah, probably," Tony said. "Howard would have made good on it too, if Rogers hadn't gone into the ice. No matter what problems I had with my dad, he did have a code of honor that I envy at times. So, what, Rogers decided that anything really did mean anything and he'd just take me as his prize? That's why he was trying to get me to go out to dinner with him so much?"

Barton sighed. "We think so, yes," he said. "This is why I don't like the idea of using magic on Rogers. He has this idea in his head that you're his prize and, even if the magic manages to bury it, what's to stop it tearing loose some day?"

"That's why you want to kill him."

"I want to kill him because he attacked you in your home, in your lab, and made you feel unsafe in your haven, Tony," Barton said. "I want to kill him because he decided to take another person as a prize in a poker game. I've killed people for less that that. Ask Phil about the brothel in Italy some time when you're feeling better."

Tony looked up again. "I probably don't really want to know, do I?"

"Not right now, no," Barton said. "Phil and I have a very low opinion of people who treat other people as objects. The only thing keeping me from killing Rogers right now is a direct order from Fury. That's not going to stop me if he comes near you, Tony, but I won't do anything if he's just in the Tower."

"You're really going to be with me every second of the day?" Tony asked burrowing more closely into Barton's chest.

"Yes," Barton said. "If I'm not, the Phil will be. He doesn't look it, but he once killed a man with a paperclip and a rubber band, Tony. If he wants a person dead, then they're dead. Never doubt that."

"So it's all down to going back to New York now," Tony said softly.

"Yeah, pretty much. We can swim there to get you back up to full strength. JARVIS can lock down the pool level before we start, right J?"

"Indeed, Sir," JARVIS said.

Tony sighed. "Day after tomorrow," he finally said. "Let's just get this over with."


	18. Chapter 18

Tony bit his lip as Barton landed the jet on the upper level of the Tower. He could feel his heart pounding behind the arc reactor and took a deep breath. He could do this. He'd done worse on his own after the last attack and he'd survived. He had help this time around, people who cared enough about him to want him to heal and join them in their relationship. He had someone who was going to stay with him all the time until he felt safe again.

"Ready?" Coulson asked softly.

"No, but let's go," Tony replied. "If I don't go now, I don't think I ever will and then what will happen. We're trying to keep the media from finding out about the problems within the initiative and Iron Man moving out of his own Tower would be a pretty big alert that there was something wrong. Just, both of you stay close?"

"I'll be right beside you the whole way," Barton said, coming back from the pilot seat. "Fury says to bring this jet back when we come up for me to review the specs on Friday."

Coulson nodded and started down the ramp towards the Tower. He could see Dr. Banner waiting for them just inside and nodded to himself. Of all the Avengers to be there when Tony arrived, Banner was probably the best. "Dr. Banner, how have things been going here?" Coulson asked, stepping inside.

"I'm glad you got Tony out of here when you did," Banner replied. "It's been intense and I've been spending a lot of time in my lab or in my room to avoid it."

"Avoid what?" Tony asked.

"Hey, Tony, welcome home," Banner said. "Barton, good to see you again. Why don't we go down to your lab, Tony, and we can talk there."

Tony nodded. "Lab, yeah, sounds good. I need to take a look and see what they've been doing there and make sure everything is fitted properly," he said. "JARVIS, how's the elevator coming?"

"It was finished an hour before you landed, Sir," JARVIS replied. "There is no access from the common level, but you will find it when you arrive at your lab. Both Thor and Captain Rogers are down in the detention area at the moment. Thor will speak with you tomorrow, Director Fury explained to him that you needed a day to become used to being in the Tower again."

"Thanks, J," Tony said. He pressed in against Barton in the elevator. "I think that, maybe, you're going to end up carrying me before this is over, Clint. My left knee is shaky."

"Walk to the lab and see how you're doing," Barton said. "It's possible it's just a spasm from sitting in the jet for so long."

"What have you been doing for physical therapy, Tony?" Banner asked.

"Swimming and something with a huge strip of elastic rubber that they won't let me keep when I'm not using it," Tony replied. "I was doing better yesterday so I thought I'd be fine, but now I'm not too sure."

"You will be, give it another day or two in the pool," Coulson said. "JARVIS, is the lab level clear?"

"It is, Sir."

"Ready, Tony?"

"Yeah, guess so," Tony said. He followed Coulson out of the elevator and into the hall in front of his lab. "The new wall looks good. I'd hoped it would be opaque, but this is probably better so I can see if there's a problem out in the hall. I don't want to be trapped anywhere. Dummy, there's my favorite problem child. Have you been good while Daddy's been gone?"

"He's missed you," Banner commented, sitting down at one of the drafting tables. "I've been coming down to check on him a few times a day, but he's definitely been moping without you here. I wasn't sure how to explain to one of your robots that you were healing."

Tony sank down in his normal chair and rubbed Dummy's claw. "You can say it, Bruce, I was attacked. I was raped, but I'm not letting that stop me," he said. "My heart is still going way too fast right now, but I've got Clint with me and he's my security until I'm all better. Now, tell me what you've been hiding from."

"Steve isn't too happy about what's been happening to him," Banner said. "He's very loud about anything that happens when Thor is down there. After I tried to break into my own cell and tear him apart for what he did, I figured it would be better to just hide away and not be able to hear him again. Fury seems to think that this is the perfect option, but I don't agree."

"Join the club," Barton said from his perch on his favorite table. It was behind Tony and slightly off to the side so he'd have a clear shot of the door if he needed to for any reason. "I think they're going to go through all this, which is pretty much torture and no one deserves that, not even a scum rapist, and one hit on the head is going to undo it all."

"Clint, we've talked about this," Coulson said.

"Yeah, we have, and I'm standing by my opinion, Phil," Barton replied.

"I have to agree with Clint," Banner said. "The human mind is a mystery that no one understands, and given the super-soldier program and the chemicals used on Steve's body, who's to say that his mind wasn't augmented as well? It's entirely possible that everything Thor is doing will work on a human, but not on Steve."

"Which is why I'm not leaving Tony alone again," Barton said. "I told Fury that, too."

Banner leaned back and rubbed his eyes. "I really hope it doesn't come to that," he said.

"If the media gets wind of this, I'll deal with it," Tony said. "I'm going to start working on those locks and then I want pizza for dinner. Agent, you promised me if I was good I could pick out dinner."

"You can have pizza, Tony," Coulson said with a fond smile. "Are we eating here tonight?"

"Here or my floor, depends on how tired I am. Bruce, you're welcome to join us," Tony said.

"Thanks, but I have a couple of experiments I need to get back to," Bruce said. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."


	19. Chapter 19

Tony pushed back from the hologram he was working with and rubbed his eyes. "Hey JARVIS, those new walls we've put in, how effective would they be on a jet?" he asked.

"In what capacity are you thinking, Sir?" JARVIS asked in reply. 

"Military jets," Tony said. "Could we engineer the material light enough to make a jet out of it?"

Barton leaned forward and started paying attention. He'd talked with JARVIS about the material the walls were made of and knew, as they were being used in the lab, that they would stop a bomb blast from the outside. To make a jet out of something that strong would change the US military forever.

"I believe that the current material would show to be too heavy and be prone to tears should we attempt to fabricate it any thinner than we have," JARVIS said. "However, it would be possible to create an alloy out of any of the elements we developed and one of them might prove to be light enough to craft an aircraft from."

"Start running the numbers for me, JARVIS," Tony said. He spun around and looked at Barton. "What do you think?"

"If you can make it work, Pepper might just faint at the new contracts Stark Industries gets," Barton grinned. "Not to mention Fury might try to adopt you."

"No, ew, no offense but I'm thinking about sleeping with you," Tony said. "If Fury adopted me, that'd make us brothers and that's just wrong. I finished the locks for the vents. If I give you a spec readout, do you think you could install them for me?"

"Sure," Barton grinned. "JARVIS will help me if I get puzzled with anything, but let's get you up to your room and with Phil before I venture into the vent network."

"Sounds good. Hold down the fort for me, Dummy." Tony stood up carefully and stretched. "Left knee is still feeling funky, but I think I'll be able to walk without stumbling in another day or two."

Barton paused next to him and grinned. "I think that deserves a hug, Tony. What do you think?"

"We're making rules for hugs now?" Tony wrapped his arms around Barton's waist and rested against him. "You're solid, Clint. You feel safe, and I don't just mean because you've been with me for all of this. It's like your body puts out a signal that screams safety to everyone. I'm surprised you don't have people trying to sit under you for protection or something."

"I think you're carrying the bird metaphor a little too far there, Tony," Barton said. He rubbed Tony's back with a grin. "Does that make you my chick?"

"Eyas, I think you'll find," Tony said. He stepped back and turned towards the door to the lab. "JARVIS, is the floor secure?"

"Yes, Sir," JARVIS replied. "I've alerted Agent Coulson that you are returning to the penthouse and requested he meet you there at his earliest convenience. He says he will bring you the pizza you've been craving."

"Finally," Tony said, making his way slowly out into the hall and towards the elevator that someone, likely Banner, had painted red and gold. "I don't know which one I've been craving more, cheeseburgers or pizza, and we got the cheeseburger out of the way in California. Now let's get pizza taken care of and then I can see if I can come up with some other cravings that I need to take care of. Think Agent would get me pickles and ice cream if I asked him?"

Barton leaned against the wall of the elevator and tried not to laugh and encourage Tony. "Without blinking," he said. "You'd be amazed at some of the things Phil and I have had to eat in the field, Tony. It's never good to go hungry when you're on an Op, but you can't always get what people consider food."

"You planning to share?"

"Not before dinner. You're eating again, and I'm not going to spoil that," Barton grinned. "So, wagers on who picked the color scheme of your personal elevator?"

"My money's on Bruce," Tony said. He walked out into the living room of his penthouse and looked around. "Area secure, JARVIS?"

"Yes, Sir. Agent Coulson is on his way up now."

"I'll grab a slice of pizza and hit the vents for you, Tony," Barton said. "Is there anything else you need me to do while I'm out moving around the Tower?"

"Nope, nothing comes to mind. I'll just feel safer when those locks are in place, Clint," he said. "Agent, welcome, where's my food?"

Coulson sighed and held out two boxes. "You're a walking stomach, aren't you, Stark?" he asked. "How was your day?"

"Productive," Tony said. "Clint's going to go fit those locks on the vent system for me so I can sleep tonight."

"Are you planning to eat first, Clint?"

"I'll eat when I get back," Barton grinned. "I grabbed a snack not too long ago down in the lab. I'm not sure what it was, beyond green, but it smelled and tasted okay."

Tony turned and looked at him. "Barton, don't take food that Dummy gives you. Seriously, he's got this weird spinach fixation going on and I don't even know what all he puts in those wraps. I don't want you to die from a massive dose of motor oil or something."

"I've got a strong stomach," Barton said. "I ate raw octopus down in the Pacific one time. Remember that, Phil?"

"I remember you claiming it was trying to climb back out of your stomach for the rest of the night," Coulson said from his place on the sofa. "Along with some of the most horrifying noises I believe I've ever heard."

"But it didn't kill me."

"No, it didn't. You're right about that," Coulson said dryly. "Locks, Clint, before you scar Tony for life."

"I'm fine," Tony said. "I have, actually, eaten some very unusual things myself. Clint, thank you for this."

Barton pressed a kiss to Tony's forehead. "Anything to make you feel safe, Tony, I told you that. You just have to ask." He picked up the bag with the locks and tools in it. "I'll be back in a bit. JARVIS, you ready to do this?"

"Indeed, Sir."

"See you guys in a bit." Barton pulled himself up into the vent network, shut the grate behind him and vanished.

Tony looked over at Coulson. "He really ate raw octopus?"

"Live, I believe," Coulson sighed. "It was still fighting on it's way down. Eat your pizza, Tony. It's getting cold."


	20. Chapter 20

"Okay, JARVIS, talk to me now that we're alone," Barton said as he worked to install the first lock in his set, "what's really been happening around here?"

"The information provided to you by Doctor Banner was, essentially correct, if somewhat limited in its purview," JARVIS replied on the secure line he normally interacted with Barton on. "As he does not spend time on the detention level, Doctor Banner is unaware that the treatments, for lack of a better word, are working well on Captain Rogers. Thor believes that he will be finished in another day or so. There is a vent opposite the cell, should you like to drop in and see for yourself, Sir."

"I might just do that," Barton said. "Okay, try that, JARVIS."

"The lock is being linked to my system now, Sir," JARVIS said. "How many do you plan to place tonight?"

"There's three vents into Tony's penthouse, five in the lab, two on the lab floor, one into his private elevator shaft which I think is a safety requirement more than anything else, and the one for the lab door itself," Barton said. "Can you think of anywhere else we need to putting these bad boys?"

"I believe that you have every possible access route via the vents covered, Sir," JARVIS said after a moment's consideration. "I am programming them to open to you only at this time. The protocol can be rewritten should we wish to allow another free access to the vent networks at a later time."

Barton grinned. "I'd like to secure every vent shaft in the building like this, JARVIS," he said. "Or weld some of the vent screens in place so no one can get into the network."

"Not even Agent Romanov?" JARVIS asked.

"Nope, not even Natasha." Barton settled in and started to wire in another lock. "JARVIS, how much time was she spending with Thor and Rogers on a daily basis before she came out to California?"

"Agent Romanov was present for almost every daily session from the time they started until she left for her current assignment," JARVIS said. "Do you believe some stray magic caught her, Clint?"

"I've known Nat a long time and I've seen her in almost every mental state possible," Barton said. "Ouch, I've never had her turn on me like that, even at her worst. It was like she wanted to drive me away from everything, JARVIS. Like she didn't want me here anymore. Now doesn't that strike you as a little weird?"

"Indeed it does, Sir, especially given the close nature of your interactions," JARVIS said. "If I might suggest, Sir, there are special gloves in the lab that will protect your fingers from the iron should you wish it. Do you believe we should report this, Sir, or have Thor examine her upon her return?"

"Can you patch me through to Director Fury's private channel, JARVIS?" Barton asked. He packed his tools away and headed for the ladder and side set that would take him to the lab floor.

"Of course, Sir. One moment."

Barton really liked JARVIS. The AI had so many hints of Tony in its personality, but at the same time, it was really obvious that JARVIS was, in many ways, his own person, as much as a computer program could be said to be a person. The one thing that amazed Barton was how loyal JARVIS was to Tony. He dropped down onto the lab's vent and pulled out a lock as he was connected to Fury's line. "Nick?"

"Hawk, talk to me."

"I think Natasha might have been unintentionally compromised, Sir," Barton said as he worked. "JARVIS tells me that she was around whenever Thor was working with Rogers. Is it possible that some of the whatever the hell magic it is Thor is using hit her?"

"I don't know," Fury said. "We can't pull her from the field at this time to assess her, Hawk. She's deep cover for another month, if not more. Do you think this is something we need to worry about?"

"Sir, she tried to make Phil believe that I was turning on SHIELD," Barton said. "On you, Nick."

"Hell, Hawk, I know that's never going to happen," Fury said. "You'll vent your temper, shoot the hell out of targets, and prowl when you need to, but your loyalty is set. I'll never question that. I didn't before, and I won't now, no matter what people tell me, so you get that worry out of your system now. I told you when you woke up and it's still true now. You are my responsibility until one of us dies, Hawk. That's never going to change."

Barton grinned and moved onto the next vent cover. "I know, Nick," he said softly. "I'm just worried about Nat. There's something wrong there. I don't think it will impact her field performance, I think it's linked to Tony and me, but when she comes back, after debrief, I think it'd be a good idea to have Thor take a look at her."

"That's the problem with magic," Fury grumbled, "you never know what's going to happen. I wish there was another option to explore here, Hawk."

"I know, Sir. When I'm finished installing these locks for Tony, I'm going to go take a peek at Rogers and see what I think. I'm not going to engage him, Sir. I'm not even planning to leave the vent," Barton said. "I just want to see what I'm dealing with. When he's allowed loose in the Tower again, Sir, I think there's going to be questions and he's going to poke at everything."

"You're worried about Tony."

"Yes, Sir, I am," Barton said. "We have the lab secured with a private elevator that runs from his penthouse to the lab and the people who can access this level are now limited and strictly monitored by both JARVIS and myself. Tony's not going to be in the common areas unless he's in his suit and leaving from the launch pad. I'm just worried about how the stress is going to affect him."

Fury sighed. "I understand your concern," he said. "Coulson's got the paperwork in to clear Tony to come up and watch the test flights. I normally wouldn't approve it, given his past with SHIELD, but I'm not going to make him stay in the Tower with Rogers. Coulson will be responsible for him, however. Long term, we need a plan."

"We do," Barton agreed. "Phil and I are thinking, Nick. We're doing nothing but thinking and running plans, but it'll take time."

"I need the pair of you back in rotation as soon as possible, Hawk."

"We get Tony secure and feeling safe, we'll be back, Sir. If you need me or Phil, you have us, but not both and never at the same time," Barton said. "We can't leave Tony alone right now. It might honestly kill him."

"Do what you need to, Hawk," Fury said. "I'll come for a visit when we're back over New York. You take care of everyone there."

"Yes, Sir," Barton said. He heard the click as the connection terminated and sighed. "Any thoughts, JARVIS?"

"Director Fury is far more concerned than I originally thought," JARVIS said. "It makes me wonder how many layers the man hides his true self under."

Barton snickered. "Thousands," he said. "If not more. Now, where are these gloves?"


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The middle of a story is not the place to find out I have trouble writing Thor.

Barton slipped into place in the vent across from the cell they'd build for the Hulk when Banner agreed to move into the Tower. He couldn't see Thor, but figured the God had to be around somewhere because Roger's attention was fixed on a point outside the cell but below the vent. If Barton wasn't a professional, a sniper who also worked deep cover, he would have growled when he saw how healthy and normal Rogers looked. It was as if nothing had been going on with him, that he'd been on holiday while Tony was suffering and trying to recover in Malibu.

"Thor, come on, I keep telling you I'm fine," Rogers was saying, "I don't know why you're insisting on keeping me in here, but it's really getting old."

"I have told you, Captain, it is because you were ill and Director Fury did not wish to risk the others on the team with your illness," Thor replied. "You grow better each day and you will soon be able to rejoin your friends."

"Then why hasn't anyone come to see me while I've been down here?" Rogers asked. "They haven't been called away, have they?"

"No, they work at their own projects," Thor said. "The Black Widow is away for a time. Hawkeye trains with Coulson, and the Man of Iron has been away in the labs at SHIELD working there to improve many of the weapons systems. I do not know when they shall be back, but it's likely you shall be released before they are."

"None of them have been in the Tower while I've been sick?" Rogers sat down on the cot. "Why even lock me up then? This doesn't make any sense, Thor."

"When does an order from Director Fury make sense, my friend?" Thor asked, smile obvious in his tone. "Perhaps JARVIS would be able to tell you more, should you ask him."

Rogers sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I tried, he's not talking to me. I don't know why, but it's something I think Tony is going to have to fix. Do you have any idea when he's going to be back?"

"I do not. Pepper has been asking the same, but it seems that friend Tony has been busy with his research," Thor said. "Maybe Hawkeye can answer a few questions for you, should he come join us."

"It is up to you, Sir," JARIVS said via the earpiece Barton was wearing. "I did not realize that Thor would be able to sense your presence in the vents."

"I promised Fury I wouldn't engage," Barton whispered in reply. "I'm heading back. This isn't worth the risk." He pushed back silently and headed back into the vent network, aiming for Tony's penthouse.  
***

"He's back," Tony said when Barton appeared in the living room. "We saved you some pizza. How are the vents, Clint?"

"Dusty," Barton replied with a grin. "Any chance you can create a bot of some sort that would keep them clean for me? If I'm hiding in there, sneezing would really become a problem."

Coulson snorted fondly and went back to his paperwork. Tony laughed. "Yeah, no problem, I'll get on that tomorrow," he said. "You got all the locks in place?"

"JARVIS?"

"He did, Sir," JARVIS said. "Each lock has been routed into my direct control and will only open for Agent Barton at this time. Should you wish it, the protocol can be rewritten at any time, but I thought it safer to restrict access for now."

"Good idea, JARVIS, thanks," Tony said. "So that's it. I'm secure."

"As secure as we can make you," Barton said. "If you want to do anything else, Tony, let us know and Phil and I will find a way to make it happen."

"We will," Coulson agreed. "Your paperwork also came through clearing you for the test flights this weekend, Tony, so you'll be able to travel up to the helicarrier with us and watch from the observation bay with me. Now then, Clint, why don't you tell us about the little side trip you made while you were out there."

Barton flopped down next to Tony, bouncing the other man a little. "How'd you know?" he asked.

"Because it's what I would have done had I been the one in the vents," Coulson replied, setting the report he was reading to the side. "Also, Nick called me."

"Thought so," Barton said. "He tell you what I think about Nat?"

"He did, and we'll look into it," Coulson said. "What do you think about Rogers?"

"Wait, you went down there?" Tony asked, looking between the two men.

"Just in the vent," Barton replied. "Rogers didn't know I was there, although Thor picked me up almost as soon as I hit the grating. I think he's keeping a few talents back, Phil."

"It's the sensible thing to do," Coulson said. "Rogers?"

"Perfectly normal," Barton said. "SHIELD told him that he's been ill and in isolation so he doesn't infect the rest of the team, which worked out great until Thor let it slip that you and I were up on the helicarrier and Tony was buried in a SHIELD lab and Nat's in the field. Rogers picked up on that before Thor was done talking. Thor blamed Fury, but I think the damage is done. Oh, and it seems that JARVIS has quit talking to Rogers and Rogers wants to talk to Tony to get him to fix that problem."

"Yeah, so not happening," Tony said. "I'd be happy to never talk to him again."

"We know, Tony, we know," Barton said. "JARVIS, what's up?"

"I find that I dislike the thought of talking to someone who would hurt another so severely," JARVIS said. "He hurt my creator and, in doing so, hurt me and my siblings. Should you request it, Sir, I will speak with him again, but I should prefer not to."

Tony smiled. "That's the first time in a while I've heard you call Dummy your sibling, J," he said. "Nah, I'll leave it up to you if you want to talk to him or not. I mean, how can I force my AI to do something I'm not willing to do? That'd just be mean."

"It's your choice, Tony," Coulson said. "Though, in the future, it might be better if JARVIS talks to Rogers for basic things so we don't have to worry about Rogers trying to get to you."

"I shall use my discretion in that case, Agent Coulson," JARVIS said.

"Good enough," Tony said. "Are you both going to sleep with me tonight?"

"Do you want us to?" Coulson asked.

"I, yeah," Tony said softly. "I know you said you don't sleep well when you're in the field and it's the two of you, but we're home and locked down under several layers of Stark security. I think I'd feel better if I was between the two of you."

Barton looked over at Coulson, who nodded. "We can do that, Tony," Barton said. "Anything to make you feel safer."

"I know I have a lot to work on," Tony said. "To feel safe in my own home again. Just promise me you won't get tired of the fears and insecurities and leave me alone."

"Tony, I've been putting up with Barton for the past seven years," Coulson said, completely deadpan. "Compared to that, you're normal."

"That was a squawk," Tony said, poking Barton. "That was definitely a squawk there, Hawkeye."

"No it wasn't," Barton said, trying to glare at Coulson.

"It so was," Tony said.

Coulson watched the mock wrestling match on the sofa and moved only when the pizza was in danger. Barton still had to eat. He reflected, not for the first time, that letting Barton and Stark be together might be the craziest idea ever. He wondered what the psych department at SHIELD would have to say about it when they found out.


	22. Chapter 22

Tony woke up in the middle of the night and stayed still, trying to work out what had pulled him out of a fairly deep sleep. He didn't think it was a nightmare and his heart wasn't racing. He was cushioned on both sides by the men who were doing everything in their power to help him be whole again, and yet his was wide awake. "J?"

"Sir?"

"What's going on?" Tony whispered.

"There is a thunderstorm outside, Sir," JARVIS replied. "The wind woke you."

"How?"

"You are more aware of your surroundings now, Sir," JARVIS said. "Your floor is secure and no one has tried to gain entry through any means."

"Hey, you okay?" Coulson asked, propping up on an elbow.

"Yeah, sorry, didn't mean to wake you up," Tony replied. "JARVIS says it's a thunderstorm and the wind woke me up."

Coulson rubbed Tony's arm. "It's possible," he said. "Do you think you'll be able to get back to sleep?"

"I'll try," Tony said. He shifted around a little, smiling when Barton's arm tightened around him and looked up at Coulson. "What about you?"

"I'll be right back," Coulson said, slipping out of bed. "Go on back to sleep, Tony. You're safe. I promise."  
***

When Tony woke up the second time, he wasn't alone in the bed, but Barton was lying above the covers on his stomach reading some specs on his tablet. "Hey sleepyhead, how are you doing?" he asked, flipping the page. "Phil said you woke up once during the night. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, guess I'm picking up on storms now," Tony replied. "What do you have there?"

"Tech specs for the jet I'm testing," Barton said. "Hungry?"

"I could eat. Where's Agent?"

"He's down in the main kitchen cooking us breakfast," Barton said. "Rogers is being released this morning and I think Phil wants to be down there when he shows up."

"Is that safe?" Tony asked.

"Thor and Banner aside, I've seen Phil take out men two times his size with an apple," Barton replied. "Trust me, Tony, of anyone in the group, Phil's really the last one you need to worry about. Nick said you could look at the specs with me if you wanted to. Are you curious about our new baby at SHIELD?"

Tony looked at him for a long minute. "Phil's really okay?"

"Phil is fine," Barton said. "JARVIS?"

"Agent Coulson is currently in the kitchen with Doctor Banner," JARVIS replied. "Captain Rogers and Thor are at the breakfast bar. Captain Rogers seems more confused than anything else at this point and is not a danger to anyone in his given area. Should he turn violent, Thor has promised to step in before anyone takes damage."

"Tony, listen to me, if I was really worried about this, I would be in the vents with a gun," Barton said. "Phil's going to be just fine and he'll bring us up some food when he comes back. Now, is it every day you get permission from Nick to see the secrets of SHIELD? Whatever JARVIS gives you doesn't count."

"Trust has always been a problem for me," Tony said, "and it's getting worse as I get older. Do you think I'll ever get better at trusting people again?"

Barton closed the spec sheet he was reviewing and looked over at Tony. "You trust me?"

"Of course."

"Phil?"

"Yes."

"Pepper?"

"She'd kill me if I even tried to suggest that I didn't."

"Rhodey?"

"Yes."

"Bruce?"

"Yeah."

Barton grinned. "Thor?"

"Mostly."

"Okay, I'll give you that one. His belief that Loki will turn good kinda grates on me most of the time," Barton said. "What about Natasha?"

"No."

"Smart."

Tony laughed. "I'm not suicidal, you know."

"Fury?"

"The man lies."

"Not about the really important things," Barton said. "Yeah, Fury will lie to you and then lie about the lie, but there's always a reason for it, Tony. You've known him for a few years. Right now he's allowed two of his top agents to stand down from field assignment because they're needed to help a friend through one of the worst experiences of his life. The one thing you need to know about him is that you can trust him to lie, and once you work past that, you'll find that he's a good man."

"I've doubted the good man, but he took you in when you needed a home," Tony said. "That, more than anything, has made me start looking at him in a new light. What's the point of this sudden game of twenty short questions?"

"Before the Avengers Initiative, how many people did you truly trust?" Barton asked.

"Two. I had thought it was three, but then Obie....."

"I know," Barton said. "Sometimes family can sneak past our guard and break trust and it hurts more than anything in the world. So you had Pepper and Rhodey. Now how many do you have?"

"Five and a half."

"So almost triple. That's not a bad thing, Tony. I think, because of everything you've been through, you know when it's safe to trust and when it's not, and that's better than hiding away forever," Barton said. "We'll get you back out in public and you'll go back to pulling all sorts of crazy stunts that drive Phil crazy. You'll be able to do it because you have your friends behind you, and you know that you've got two friends who love you."

"I think I may have more than that," Tony said. "Clint, could I maybe see Pepper later today? I think she needs to know what's been going on, and I'm sure there's a ton of stuff I need to do for my company."

Barton nodded and turned on his tablet again. "We've been waiting for you to ask, Tony. How about having her join us for lunch?"

"Lunch, yeah, lunch works," Tony said. "JARVIS, will you call her for me?"

"Yes, Sir."

"All right then, Hawkeye, show me what you've got here." He rolled until he was next to Barton, pressed up tightly against the other man's side. "I'll admit I'm curious about these jets that have you almost in orgasm over the idea of touching one."

"You have such a way with words, Stark," Barton said. "Wait until you see this, you'll be in the same state that I am."

Tony laughed. "Bring it on," he said.


	23. Chapter 23

"Tony, you said lunch, you did not say in your lab," Pepper said, walking in behind Coulson. "What's with the new walls and the changes to the building anyway? What's going on?"

"This seems to be my day to play twenty questions," Tony sighed. He set down the bot he was working on, trying to build something that would keep the vents clean for Barton, and turned to look at Pepper. "The new walls are for my safety, Pep. There's something that none of us told you, and I think, well, I think I need to tell someone to be able to move forward."

"We set up a table back here, Pepper," Coulson said with a smile. "Barton made lunch for us. Please, this way."

Pepper looked between the pair. "Where is Barton?" she asked. "In fact, where is everyone?"

"Thor and Captain Rogers are at SHIELD for medical tests and Bruce is working in his lab," Coulson replied. "I believe that Clint is currently in the vents working on a project, but he's close by. JARVIS, am I right?"

"Indeed, Sir," JARVIS said. "Agent Barton is in the process of securing the vent network, Ms. Potts, and asks that you enjoy lunch. He will join you when the floor is finished."

"What, exactly, is he doing?" Pepper asked.

"Currently he is installing locks to the vent covers to prevent infiltration into the network," JARVIS replied.

"Okay, you know what, I'm really confused here," Pepper said. She sat down in the chair Coulson was holding for her and looked at Tony. "You're upping security in the Tower?"

"Only on certain levels," Coulson said. "JARVIS, would you let Barton know that Tony needs him, please?"

"At once, Sir."

"Pepper, those new walls, I think they could have military applications," Tony said. "I'll have to run some tests, work with SHIELD's bomb techs to see if I'm right or not, but they can be painted and, if I'm right, provide a completely safe building for the military in war zones. Yeah, they'd have to build it, but the walls here were put up in a day. Construction would be the least of their worries."

Barton dropped onto his table. "Hi Ms. Potts, sorry I wasn't here when you arrived," he said. "Tony, what's up?"

"I just, please?" Tony said.

"Yeah," Barton said softly. He hopped down and moved to sit next to Tony at the table. "Right here, Tony. You're strong enough for this. You can do it."

Tony nodded and swallowed hard. "Pep, what I'm going to tell you is top secret," he said. "You can't tell anyone. It doesn't leave this lab. It never gets mentioned to anyone else."

She looked at his face and softened. "Tony, you know I won't tell anyone things you want kept secret," she said.

"Right, trust," Tony said. "Pep, I haven't been with SHIELD this past month. They lied to you to protect me. I was." He paused and took a deep breath, hand tightening on Barton's under the table. "I was assaulted and raped here in the lab. Clint and Agent have been taking care of me during my recovery."

Pepper's mouth opened and closed a few times and then she bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes. "Oh, Tony," she said softly.

"Hugs are okay as long as he knows they're coming," Barton said.

"Then there's a hug coming," Pepper said, moving over to Tony. She wrapped him in a tight hug and looked over his shoulder at Barton. "Who did it?"

"This is where it gets a little complicated," Coulson said. "It's also the reason we lied about Tony's whereabouts. We need to keep this information secure beyond eyes only, Pepper. Tony was attacked by Captain Rogers."

"Steve?" she asked. "How? Why?"

"My dad," Tony replied softly. "He and Rogers gambled during the war and Dad promised Rogers anything he wanted. Rogers took that to mean he could have me. When I refused his attempts at normal dating, because he's totally not my type, he assaulted me. Clint's the one who stopped him."

"I'd kill him," Pepper said. "If there was a way to do it without raising questions, I'd kill him for hurting you, Tony."

Barton sighed. "He's lucky he's not already dead, Ms. Potts," he said. "I figured that SHIELD would want to question him, so I shot him in the shoulder rather than the eye. This is why we're upping security around Tony. Rogers is still living here."

"What?"

"Ow, Pep," Tony muttered.

"Sorry."

"Thor has done some form of magic that buried all memories of the events, the promise from Howard Stark, and the attack deeply in Rogers' mind," Coulson said. "He was told that he's been ill and that's why he was in isolation, when the truth was that he was imprisoned for attacking Tony. We've left it up to Tony who he tells and when he tells what happened to him, but Captain America is too big in the nation's mind to just kill. There would be some awkward questions and, ultimately, we fear that it would all come back on Tony."

"So Tony has to hide away in his own home because you guys are worried about bad press?" Pepper demanded.

"Pepper, it's fine," Tony said. "No, really, it is because I never spent that much time on the common level anyway, and now I have a way to get from my lab directly to my room without distractions and Clint and Phil are making sure I eat and sleep a reasonable amount, which no one has ever managed to do before, and I don't mind. I've got permission from Fury to come up to see some test flights this weekend. I'll be safe in the suit when I have to be out with the team. I'm doing okay."

"He's been doing better than we expected since he woke up," Barton said. "We had a few issues with swimming, but he's got full muscle control back and, physically, he's healed. I'm not leaving him alone, Pepper. I'm not giving anyone a chance to hurt him again."

"And we got cool walls out of it," Tony said. "Seriously, give me a couple of weeks to run tests and then we can see if anyone is interested and can contract for the materials. I'm also working on a cleaning bot that will make the rhoomba looks like a snail, and there might be a new aircraft material out of all of this. JARVIS is still running some numbers for me."

She leaned back. "Tony, I don't care about all of that," Pepper said. "I care that you were hurt and now you're having to hide in your own home. That's not right."

"Allow him his choice, Pepper, please," Coulson said. "We're still working short-term here. None of us have a long-term solution in place. Before you say it, killing Rogers is not a viable long-term solution, no matter how angry we all are."

"It'd be the easiest answer," Pepper said. She moved back to her chair. "What can I do to help you, Tony?"

"Just what you always do, run the company, put out the news that I'm back with some prototypes of some really cool stuff, and let's see if we can't get the stock price up a little," Tony said with a grin. "I was knocked down, Pepper. No one is knocking me out of the game for good. These two aside, I'm not the type to lie down and die. I never have been and I never will be. Can I face Rogers again when I'm not in my suit, I dunno. I'm taking this one day at a time and trusting those I love to help me through this."

"Are you going to tell Rhodey?" Pepper asked.

"Probably. Soon. Just not right now," Tony replied. "I'm afraid he might try something and he does have a suit. I don't want Rhodey getting into trouble because of something that happened to me."

She nodded with a small sigh. "All right, Tony. This is your life. You make the choices. Just let me know what you want me to do to help you out."

"Just be yourself, Pep. I need that more than anything. Don't change how you are with me because of this."

"Well, in that case, I did bring you some paperwork that needs to be done," she said.

Tony sighed and picked up one of the sandwiches Barton had made for lunch. "I had to say it, didn't I?"


	24. Chapter 24

"So, she took the news better than I thought she would," Tony said when he was alone in the lab with Coulson and Barton. Coulson was doing paperwork and Barton was filling a bag with more locks to be installed in the vent network. "I was fully expecting her to storm out of here and to punch Rogers in the face or something."

"I was concerned about that too," Coulson said. "I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to keep Pepper away from the others for a while. Clint, you going back into the vents?"

"Yeah, I want this network secure and for me only, Phil," Barton replied. "JARVIS has the fabrication units up to speed on the locks and as long as you can be here in the lab with Tony, I feel safe enough going out into the networks."

Coulson nodded. "All right, although I have to wonder how many vents there are in the Tower."

"For the whole Tower, well over a thousand," Barton said. "JARVIS and I have a plan though."

Tony looked up from the bot he was working on. "Are you conspiring with my AI, Hawkeye?" he asked.

"Yeah," Barton grinned. "JARVIS comes up with the best ideas. Okay, I'm off, call me if you need me. I'm only going a few floors down and will work my way back up from there. Later."

"Should I be worried," Tony asked as the vent closed behind Barton and locked down.

"Very likely," Coulson replied with a sigh. "JARVIS, are these top secret plans or can you share them with Tony and me?"

There was a pause. "It is not top secret, Sir," JARVIS said. "The fabrication units are some what slow in producing the locks that we are using, so Agent Barton is welding some of the grate covers in place until we have enough locks to secure the whole building. At this point it is a three to one ratio, with most of the locks being employed on the upper levels where the team lives and spends the most time. The welds are in place lower down and I am monitoring them closely to ensure no one is able to break into the network from any of those points."

"Sounds good to me," Tony said. "We'll eventually have enough locks to take care of the whole Tower though, right?"

"Indeed, Sir," JARVIS said. "We are concerned about the welds because it is possible they could be broken, however, with the locks in place on your floors, no one would be able to exit the network. Agent Coulson, Director Fury is on the line for you."

"Put him through, please, JARVIS."

"Yes, Sir. He says that this is a conversation Mr. Stark may be involved in should he be comfortable doing so," JARVIS said as the video monitor came to life.

"Director," Coulson said.

"Phil, Tony, where's Barton?" Fury asked.

"In the vents," Coulson replied. "He's securing the whole network."

Fury smiled. "That's my boy, never one to leave a job half-done if there's a way to finish it," he said. "Phil, I wanted to let you know that we've finished the medical tests on Rogers and he's in route back to the Tower."

"We're secure in the lab at the moment, Sir, so it's fine," Coulson said. "What did the medical tests show?"

"No sign of tumors, brain traumas, hell, no sign of anything," Fury sighed. "He's as healthy as a horse."

"Any traces of anything magical beyond what Thor's been doing?"

"Nope. No outside influences detected at all," Fury said. "Turns out that Rogers really does have a black spot on that super-enhanced heart of his.

Coulson sighed. "Everyone has something, Sir," he said. "So now we wait?"

"Now we come up with a long-term plan. I need to have you and Barton able to go into the field, Phil. I don't mind standing you down for a few months, hell, it works out better this way because I have Hawk to test the new jets out, but eventually I'll need the two of you back on active duty."

Tony looked over. "It's possible I'll be able to stay on my own in a few months, Nick," he said. "I mean, I can't promise anything, but I've got three new layers of security around me here at the Tower. We haven't tested it to see if Rogers can break through it, he can't access my floors anymore, but between those and Bruce, I might be okay. Hell, if it comes to it, I can always go hide in the Hulk cell until Clint and Agent get back."

"We don't want you to have to run and hide, Tony," Fury said, sounding softer than he ever had before when talking to Stark. "It's your home and you should be able to feel safe no matter what happens. Would you at least think about trying to be in the same room as Rogers at some point in the future?"

"As long as you'll take no for my answer, yes," Tony said.

"That's fair," Fury said. "Hawk."

Barton dropped onto the table. "Ran out of locks," he said. "What's up, Fury?"

"Just filling them in on the results of Rogers' medical exams," Fury said. 

"Yeah, I saw them come back," Barton said. "Rogers looked a little put out."

"That's his problem," Tony muttered. He put the bot he'd been working on down on the floor and pushed a button. "Hey, it works. Oh, Nick, while I'm thinking about it, I've got these cool new walls that should be able to withstand a bomb blast from close range. Any chance I could borrow your explosive staff and see if they are or not? You'd get first dibs on them when they go on the market."

Coulson looked over. "It'd be a good idea, Sir," he said. "If we could replace the engine housing on the helicarrier with this material, it would significantly reduce the threat of outside attack on our engines."

"I'll see what I can do," Fury said. His image vanished before the others could reply.

"Is that my cleaning bot?" Barton asked, watching the little mouse-shaped robot as it moved around the floor.

"Yeah, I wanted to make it bigger, but I'm thinking that it'll work better this way, and there's a infrared camera in the eyes," Tony said. "I'm thinking ten of these per floor will keep things clean for you."

"Aw, it's cute," Barton said with a grin. "I don't know about making the roomba look like a snail, Tony, but they'll be good for small or tight spaces. What do you think, Phil?"

"I think the two of you are the silliest men I've ever met and I'm going to regret letting you plot," Coulson said dryly. "That aside, Tony, you prove their worth here in the Tower and I'll see about getting approval for them in SHIELD bases."

Barton grinned. "Good, the vents at SHIELD are an embarrassment they're so dirty."

"You're cute as a dust bunny," Coulson said.


	25. Chapter 25

"We'll see you there," Barton said, watching Tony suit up in his penthouse. He was planning to use the smaller emergency launch pad to head up to the Helicarrier. "Fury's probably going to be waiting for you on deck, so be ready for that."

"See you soon," Tony said. He walked out and took off, planning to just enjoy flying for a bit and catching the jet when it left the Tower. He still wasn't feeling all that secure about being around strangers without either Barton or Coulson with him.

Barton looked over at Coulson, who nodded, and the pair of them started down to the landing pad. Coulson had a briefcase and Hawkeye had his bow case and quiver with him. "The problem is going to be Rogers," Barton commented in the elevator. "I don't know if I'll be able to talk normally to him."

"You go on out and get the jet ready to go and let me handle Rogers," Coulson said. "You know that no one can tell what I'm feeling."

"I'm going to make you lose that calm one of these days," Barton promised. He grinned at his lover and took off at a jog towards the jet out on the landing pad.

"Test day?" Bruce asked, looking up from the book he was reading.

"It is," Coulson replied. "Captain Rogers."

"There hasn't been a call has there?" Rogers asked, looking up from his sketch pad. "I thought I saw Iron Man out the window."

"You did, Tony is testing a new suit today and then is meeting us at a SHIELD base for some tests flights on a new jet," Coulson replied. "We'll probably be back late this evening so don't worry if you don't see us before eleven. Have a good day, both of you."

Rogers looked over at Bruce. "Is it just me, or are they treating me differently?" he asked.

"I think it's just you, Steve," Bruce said. He was making an effort to be in the same room with the other man because it would be too weird if everyone in the Tower suddenly started avoiding Rogers. It just wasn't easy. He still wanted to pull Rogers apart for what he did to Tony, even if Tony seemed to be bouncing back from the attack. "I overheard Barton talking with Director Fury about this jet and it seems that Barton will be the test pilot for the first few rounds. It makes sense that Coulson would be there, and Tony's been working with the SHIELD R and D guys, so it's possible he's involved with the project."

"So why not invite all of us?"

"Fury wants to keep me out of SHIELD bases for as long as possible," Bruce said. "The flights are top secret. It's possible you don't have the clearance to see them."

"Tony does? I thought he and SHIELD hated each other."

"I've learned it's best not to question Director Fury on things," Bruce said with a glance at his watch. "You'll just get a headache if you try it. I've got a test finishing up. See you later."

"Yeah, see you," Rogers said. He didn't care what the rest of the team said, there was something going on, and he needed to figure out what it was.  
***

"Iron Man," Fury said when Tony landed next to the jet Barton had just parked. "Glad you could make it. I talked to the explosives team and, if you've got the specs for your new material, they'd like to start looking it over."

"They're in the case Agent has with him," Tony said as his armor folded back into its case.

"Here you are, Director Fury, Sir," Coulson said as he appeared next to his boss. "I also brought the preliminary report for a new cleaning bot that I believe will be useful at SHIELD bases around the world."

Fury looked at the folders and sighed. "I'm going to regret this," he said. "Hawk, your baby is waiting for you at the other end of the runway."

"Sir," Barton said and took off at a jog.

"He's really been looking forward to this, Sir," Coulson said as the three men started in towards the observation area of the main bridge.

"I'm sure he has," Fury said. He decided not to comment on how close Tony was sticking to Coulson. Fury knew better than anyone that recovering from rape could take longer than any other attack and feeling safe was the first step towards that recovery. He was honestly just glad to see Tony out of the Tower where he knew the genius was behind lock and key to feel safe. "Mr. Stark, you're welcome to watch from here with Agent Coulson."

"Thank you," Tony said softly. "Let me know if your guys have any questions about those specs."

"I will," Fury said and swept off.

Coulson looked over. "You okay?" he asked softly.

"I feel like everyone is staring at me," Tony replied.

"They are, but that's just because you're Iron Man and they're curious why you're here when these tests are going on," Coulson said. "No one here is going to hurt you and honestly, if they try, they have to get past me first."


	26. Chapter 26

Barton ran through the pre-flight checks and made notes on the tablet he had with him. There were still some things that the R&D people were planning to add to the jet, so not every slot had a button, but the cockpit was secure for flight. "Director Fury, Sir," he said, once everything was noted down, "pre-flight is complete. Ready to go as soon as I'm cleared."

"Take her for a ride, Hawk," Fury replied.

"Yes, Sir," Barton grinned. He finished powering everything up and started forward, eyes and ears open for any strange lights or noises that might pop up during flight. "Coulson, you guys wired in?"

"We're here, Barton," Coulson replied. "We're in the observation bubble of the main deck."

"Roger that, I'll fly by and wave," Barton said. "Okay, I'm good on my end. Here we go."

On the main deck, Tony looked over at Coulson. "He really is excited about this, isn't he?"

"He loves new technology almost as much as you do, Tony," Coulson replied softly. "I'm not surprised the pair of you are becoming such good friends."

They both grinned when they heard Barton's whoop of joy as he took to the sky in the new jet. "He also loves to fly," Coulson added. "Director?"

"Phil," Fury said. "Tony, tell me more about these little vent cleaners you're inventing."

"They're designed to get into small spaces and keep the vents clean for Clint," Tony said. "He pointed out that, should he need to be quiet in the vent network, dust would cause problems for him. I installed a microscopic infrared camera to help with security, and a microphone could be added as well. In fact, that's not a bad idea. I should totally do that when I get back to the lab. JARVIS, make a note of that, microphone in the mouse's nose."

"Yes, Sir," JARVIS replied.

"JARVIS is staying out of our systems today, right?" Fury asked.

"Director Fury, I am here to aid in keeping Mr. Stark safe," JARVIS replied. "I am not actively searching through your systems, nor am I retaining any data that runs across my programming. My sole concern today is my creator."

Fury looked at Coulson. "Did I just get told off by a computer?" he asked.

"Yes, Sir, you did," Coulson replied. "JARVIS is just as involved in keeping Tony safe as Barton and I are."

"Smartass machine," Fury sighed. "The demolitions team is very interested in this new material you're talking about, Tony. They want to know when you'll have enough made up that they can build some mock-ups and try to blow them up."

"End of next week," Tony said. "Given that I'll have to split the fabrication units tasks a little, I can have enough panels to them to build three basic cubes by early Friday morning."

"I'll have them send you some plans for what they want to build," Fury said. "What the hell, Hawk, what are you doing?"

Tony and Coulson turned to look out the window and found the prototype jet at a safe distance, but close enough that they could see Barton grinning at them. "Testing the hover, Sir," Barton replied. "She handles like a dream, but there's a catch in the engines when I hit mach."

"Bring her in and let's have the crews take a look," Fury said.

"Right, Sir," Barton said. He waved and moved off.

"Want to go down and meet him?" Coulson asked, glancing at Tony.

"Yeah," Tony said.  
***

"Okay, that was an awesome day," Tony said when they walked into his penthouse late that night. "I don't know when I've had so much fun. Can we do that again?"

"Give him new tech, the possibility of blowing things up and annoying the Director and he's happy as a clam," Coulson sighed.

Barton laughed. "We can do more with the new tech tomorrow, Tony," he said. "For now, we're going to go to sleep."

"I think I'm too awake to sleep," Tony said.

"Come on, your shower is big enough for all three of us and the heat will help you relax," Barton said, herding Tony towards the bathroom. "JARVIS, everything cool here?"

"Indeed, Sir," JARVIS replied. "Agent Coulson, Dr. Banner wishes to speak with you at your earliest convenience."

"Is he still awake, JARVIS?" Coulson asked.

"He is in his lab, Sir."

"You to go ahead and start without me," Coulson said. "I'll go see what Bruce needs and bring up some tea when I come back."

Barton nodded and pulled Tony into the bathroom, getting a surprised yelp from the other man. Coulson shook his head with a fond smile and headed towards the secure elevator that would take him down to the common area. He submitted to the scans and asked JARVIS to undo the lock and headed down towards Bruce's lab. "Bruce?"

"Oh, hey Phil, I didn't know you were back," Bruce said, looking up from his computer. "How did Tony do today?"

"He did really good," Coulson replied with a fond smile. "I think he'll be able to be out and about within the next month or so, at least around SHIELD."

"Good, that's good," Bruce said. "I just wanted to let you know that Steve is wondering what happened to make everyone suddenly start treating him differently. I tried to play it off as his imagination and, when he asked about Tony suddenly having clearance for the tests today, said that trying to anticipate Fury would just give him a headache. I don't think he bought it."

"That's one reason among many that I wasn't in favor of this solution," Coulson sighed. He leaned against one of the counters. "Everyone else knows what happened and are reacting to that, but Rogers has forgotten it because of the magic Thor used, so he knows there's something wrong, he just doesn't know what, and he's going to be trying to figure this out."

"So what do we do?"

"I don't know," Coulson said. "I really don't. I'm worried that it's very possible Rogers is going to remember everything and try and attack Tony again. If that happens, I believe there is a very real possibility that Barton will kill Rogers. Fury wants a long term solution, but I don't have one. None of us does."

"Which is just going to cause more problems in the future," Bruce said.

"It will, and for once, Bruce, I don't have the solutions."


	27. Chapter 27

Rogers stared at the elevator in frustration. "JARVIS, why can't I go down to the lab levels?" he asked.

"Mr. Stark is currently running some explosive tests and has requested the level be sealed to prevent injuries," JARVIS replied.

"Explosives?" Rogers asked. "In a Tower in the middle of New York?"

"We have safety protocols in place, Captain Rogers," JARVIS said. "No harm will come to anyone as long as those protocols are in place."

Barton dropped down silently behind the super soldier. "What's up?" he asked.

"Barton, don't sneak up on me like that," Rogers yelped, spinning around. "I wanted to talk to Tony about something, but JARVIS won't let me down to the labs."

"Yep, they're sealed up today," Barton said with a grin. "Probably for the rest of the week, something for Director Fury. So what's up, maybe it's something I could help you with."

"It'll keep," Rogers said. "Where did you come from, anyway?"

"My secret," Barton said. "All right, if you don't need me, I'll go back to what I was doing. Later." He kicked the wall under his nest, caught the rope as it dropped and climbed up into his nest, pulling the rope up behind him. "Good call there, JARVIS," he whispered once he was secure.

"Every solution is short term, however," JARVIS said with a sigh.

"Yeah, I know," Barton said. Phil was down with Tony, so he settled in to watch Rogers for a while. "I wish I could feel sorry for him, that lost face he makes is pretty sad, but I just can't. Not after what he did to Tony."

"Indeed," JARVIS said. "Clint, I wonder if it wouldn't be better to allow Thor to remove the magical block on the attack only. SHIELD could insist that Captain Rogers receives counseling for what he did to Mr. Stark and everyone would be able to move forward."

Barton thought about it for a minute. "There's no way to know for sure that he wouldn't try it again," he said.

"That is true, however, if Captain Rogers were to remember just the attack and rape, is it possible that he would experience remorse for his actions?" JARVIS asked.

"He might, or he might remember everything and start trying to find Tony again."

"I believe, that should he remain focused on what is wrong here in the Tower, that he will break through the blocks that Thor has placed on him on his own," JARVIS said. "Should that happen, there would be no way for us to be aware of the event or prepare for it. If we allowed Thor to partially remove the block, we could control what he remembered and keep Mr. Stark safe."

"Well, it's an idea," Barton agreed. "I'll head on down to the lab and we can talk to Phil and Tony about it. Maybe Phil can use this as a base idea to come up with something awesome." He slipped into the vent network behind his nest and locked it behind him, heading for the lab.

Barton slipped into the vents over the lab and settled in to just watch for a minute, something he hadn't had a chance to do since he started out-fitting the vents with locks. With the fabrication units mostly working on walls and bolts for SHIELD, he'd been taking a break.

"I know you're there, Legolas," Tony called.

"Maybe I just like watching you work," Barton replied. He dropped down on his table. "Hey, Dummy, what do you have there?" He took the wrench with a smile. "Thank you."

"You're good with him," Tony commented. "What did JARVIS need?"

"Rogers was trying to get to the lab level and needed to be distracted," Barton said. "Phil, we've got to do something or this isn't going to work long term."

"What do you suggest?" Coulson asked.

"JARVIS, fill them in," Barton replied.

JARVIS repeated what he'd been talking with Barton about. When he was finished, Tony looked at Coulson. "I actually like that plan," he said. "I think that it wouldn't be a bad idea to let Rogers know what happened and, if he goes to the press or talks about it, then I can counter him. I especially like the counseling idea. He needs to move on and find someone else."

"If nothing else, it would let us explain why Tony's never around and we have all the new security in place," Barton conceded. "I'm with JARVIS on this magic crap not holding, especially if Rogers keeps picking at it."

Coulson sighed. "Let me talk with Fury and see what he thinks," he said. "I don't think he'll go for this idea, but I'll suggest it."


	28. Chapter 28

Coulson went out into the hall where he could still see both Tony and Barton in the lab to call Fury. "Director Fury, Sir, it's possible that JARVIS may have figured out a groundwork for our long term solution," he said, once the call was connected.

"Why do I have a feeling this isn't something I'm going to like?" Fury asked with a sigh.

"Probably because it is, Sir," Coulson replied. "JARVIS and Barton have brought up the point that, should Rogers continue to wonder why things have changed so in the Tower, the magic Thor used on him, no matter how strong the spell, it will unweave and we run the risk of having Rogers right back where he was prior to the assault."

"So what does JARVIS think we should do?"

"Ask Thor is it's possible to remove part of the magical block on Rogers' mind to allow him to remember the assault and rape he perpetrated against Tony," Coulson said. "While making sure that the wager with Howard Stark remain buried as deeply as possible. They believe that Rogers will feel regret about what he did and we can insist he receive counseling for the attack."

Fury sighed. "Have you ever heard a plan where so many things can go wrong?" he asked. "What do we do if Rogers talks to the media?"

"Tony says he'll counter anything that's said," Coulson said. "You saw him yesterday, Sir. He is recovering from the rape, far better than I had expected him to given the circumstances."

"I don't know that I want the world to know that one of the men they look at the defend them is a rapist," Fury said.

"It's possible the flaw will make most of them like him all the more, Sir," Coulson pointed out. "You never know what human nature is going to do."

"Ain't that the truth?" Fury asked. "All right, so say we let Rogers remember the rape and he goes through the counseling. What happens next?"

"Barton pointed out that Rogers is trying to figure out why there's all these new security protocols in place in the Tower, Sir. Allowing Rogers to remember would allow us to explain why Tony is staying locked away in his lab or on his floor. Truthfully, Sir, the only time I'm not going to worry about Tony is when he's in his suit, but he's starting to come out of his shell again and I don't want to do anything that's going to push him back in again."

"You do realize it's possible that Rogers will find a way to Stark and either drown him in apologies or try to rape him again."

"Yes, Sir, I do, which is why Barton is in the process of securing the entire vent network for the Tower," Coulson said. "When he's done, he will be the only one who has access to the vents. In order to get from the common area to Tony's floor on the elevator, you have to have both a hand and eye scan, be on the protocol list with JARVIS, and have your fingerprint unlock the button for the floor."

"He's under that much security?"

"He needed that much to feel safe in his own home, Sir, yes," Coulson said. "Also, should we proceed with this plan, I think it would not be a bad idea to test out these new walls of Tony's against Rogers at another location. We can make it a team event; Thor, Hulk, Captain America, Iron Man, and Hawkeye can all try and break through. We would only be interested in one set of variables, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to see if the new material is Hulk proof."

"I like that idea, Coulson," Fury said. "I'm not crazy about the rest of it, but I'll talk to Thor and see if it's possible to reverse part of what he did. I'd rather be in control of this whole thing and know what Rogers is recalling. If we go through with this, and I stress the if in that sentence, you are to keep a close eye on Rogers to make sure he doesn't recall everything."

"Of course, Sir," Coulson said. "JARVIS would be able to help with that. I don't think it would be a problem to have Thor periodically check however he seals these memories away to make sure that nothing is leaking through."

"I'll talk with him and get back to you," Fury said. "Now, change of subject. How are those walls coming? The R&D and demolitions groups are salivating over the new specs they're receiving."

Coulson laughed. "We'll be finished on time, Sir, and deliver when they were promised," he said. "I'll admit to being curious to see how well this material withstands bombs and other IEDs."

"So am I," Fury said. "Tell Stark I'm looking forward to seeing the results of these tests. Take care of your boys, Phil."

"I will," Coulson said. He put his phone away and went back into the lab. "He's going to talk to Thor and see what can be done. We also need to make several more sets of walls for an Avengers based test."

Tony caught on first and laughed. "You are sneaky, Agent," he said. "All right, extra walls it is, but they'll have to alternate with the locks. If we're actually doing this whole thing with Rogers, then I want to be sure that no one can get into the vents."

"Whatever you need, Tony," Barton said. He was perched on his table playing with Dummy. "You just have to ask us."


	29. Chapter 29

"Hey Clint, did you mean it when you said all I had to do was ask?" Tony said later that night, once they were secured away in his penthouse.

"Of course I did, Tony," Barton replied. "What's up?"

"I just, I was wondering if you would." He paused and took a deep breath. "Kiss me?"

"Which one of us?" Barton asked.

Tony looked at him. "Are we negotiating sex now?"

"No, we're establishing your comfort zone," Barton said. "Tony, come here and sit down for a minute. I want to tell you about the last time I was raped. Not the attack, but what happened when Phil and I decided I was ready for sex again."

"I feel like I shouldn't like story time as much as I do," Tony sighed. He stretched out on the bed and looked up at Barton. "Okay, lay it on me."

"Phil and I had been talking, more than you would expect, because of the extent of the attack on me," Barton said. "I'd learned my lesson about holding back anything and had been open with him about everything and thought I was ready to go back to where we were. Phil wasn't quite as certain, but understood that I wanted to feel like my body was mine again and decided to go slowly for me."

"What happened?" Tony asked.

Coulson looked up from his computer. "He did fine until the moment that I tried to penetrate him. I woke up an hour later with a headache and no lover."

"I ran," Barton said. "Not far, not after I'd knocked him out, but I was in the vents and it took a day for him to coax me out again. So, speaking from experience, we're going to establish your boundaries now and will not cross them tonight. I'm not telling you no, Tony, I'm telling you slow."

"I can do slow," Tony said. "Slow sounds good, actually. So, what, just kissing tonight? Would you let me watch the two of you? I just, I want to feel like I'm special."

Barton pulled Tony into a hug and kissed the top of his head, not surprised when Coulson joined them on the bed. "Tony, you don't need sex to be special," he said softly. "Whoever told you that or taught you that deserves to be shot. You are so special just being yourself. Look at all the good you've done since your kidnapping. Tony, you've helped change energy on the planet for the better and you're making this a better world every day. So very special, Tony. If we never had sex, I'd be happy to stay with you for the rest of our lives because I love who you are, not what you can do for me."

"Clint's right," Coulson added. "Tony, sex is wonderful, but it's not the only thing about a relationship. We have a balance between the three of us that I never thought would be possible and it works. I think it's because the two of you are insane and understand each other without having to talk through everything. That alone makes you special, Tony. That you can understand Clint on the most basic levels."

"That was a squawk," Tony said, trying to hide how much his voice was shaking.

"Yeah, maybe this time it was," Barton said softly. "I still say you're carrying the bird metaphor too far, Tony. Do you understand what we're saying to you here?"

"Yeah, I do," Tony said. "I'm sorry, that was a stupid thing for me to say."

"No it wasn't, Tony. In the past you've used sex in order to relate to people," Coulson said. "Because it was a way that they understood what you were trying to say. Now, suddenly, you have Bruce who understands your science. You have Clint and me who understand everything else and you're off-balance because of it. The attacks didn't help anything, but you don't have to feel like you have to sleep with us to be special. You are special, Tony Stark."

Both Barton and Coulson wrapped Tony in a tighter hug as the other man broke down and was finally able to cry. They'd been expecting it since Tony woke up back in England and realized what happened, and knew how to work him through it. Neither of them moved until Tony went limp and his breathing evened out.

"He's asleep," Barton whispered.

"I'll get a towel and find some extra blankets," Coulson replied in a matching whisper. "We shouldn't move him too much right now."

"Yeah, you're right." Barton wasn't able to reach Coulson's hand, but blinked out 'I love you' before Coulson was off the bed. Coulson smiled and nodded, squeezing Barton's shoulder, before he went to get a damp towel for Tony's face. They'd passed one of the barriers that Tony had had in place and they would be able to start moving forward towards recovery.


	30. Chapter 30

"Where's Tony?" Rogers asked, looking around. "Why are we all out here anyway?"

"Tony's up with Director Fury," Bruce replied. "Coulson told me that this is a new material that Tony's invented that's being tested for possible military applications and, should it perform to the specs today, we're going to be attacking them to see if we can break through. It's why you had to bring your shield with you."

"I have no idea what's going on any more," Rogers sighed. "Bruce, you know something. Why won't you tell me?"

"I really don't know what you're talking about," Bruce said. "Heads up, here comes Thor."  
***

On the raised platform, Tony looked down and winced. "Okay, that had to hurt," he said. "Someone needs to remind Thor to land carefully around Bruce. We don't want the Hulk showing up too soon."

"Everyone in place?" Fury asked, looking around.

"Yes, Director," one of the scientists said.

"Then let's get this show on the road," Fury said. "Stark, you have all your sensors and computers around ready to gather up data for us?"

"They're wired in to the tablets I gave you," Tony replied, looking over his sunglasses. "Barton, you want to push the button?"

Barton grinned. "I still can't believe you made it a big, red button, Tony," he said. "JARVIS, let everyone know."

"Yes, Sir," JARVIS replied. His magnified voice echoed out over the field they were using for the initial tests. "All personnel clear the area. Testing will begin in two minutes mark. A minute warning will be given, followed by thirty seconds and a ten second countdown."

"It's big and red, Coulson," Barton said, holding up the switch. "I never thought I'd actually have a chance to push a big, red button and blow something up."

"One more thing you can check off your list, Barton," Coulson said. "Focus."

"JARVIS, all sensors online?" Tony asked, working on his own tablet. He froze when he heard a voice behind him.

"Director Fury, Sir?"

Fury turned and blocked Tony from view. "Captain Rogers, we weren't expecting you up here today," he said. "What can we do for you?"

"One minute mark," JARVIS said.

"I'm just curious about the new material you're testing today," Rogers said. "It's the first I've heard about it and wondered exactly what's going on."

Coulson was probably the only one who noticed Barton's hand twitch on the box his was holding. "I'll come along and explain it to everyone, Captain," he said, stepping away from the group. "We do need everyone to keep to their assigned areas just to be safe. We measured out the distance and added on for safety, but we need you there to protect Dr. Banner in case of an accident."

"I see," Rogers said. "All right, let's go, but I'm holding you to that Agent Coulson."

"Of course," Coulson said easily. He took Rogers' arm and started him back towards the stairs.

"Ten seconds, nine......"

Barton waited until a two count past the zero mark and then pushed the button. Grass and dirt funneled up into the air and rained back down around the test site. "What do you see, Tony?" he asked.

"The walls appear to be in tact," Tony replied, studying the feed from one of the protected cameras. "The R&D guys will have to go in and poke at them to be sure, but I think it worked."

Fury nodded. "We'll wait for the numbers to come in," he said. "They'll also start setting up for the next test."

The scientists in the tower with them got the hint and left before they got a look from Fury. Barton glanced back. "Nick, thanks for that," he said.

"What, Hawk?"

"Protecting Tony like you did," Barton said. "No one else would have picked up on it, but you were going to fight Rogers if it came down to it, weren't you?"

Fury grinned. "Let's just say he wouldn't have gotten any closer to Tony," he said.

"Thanks, Nick," Tony said.


	31. Chapter 31

"Okay, so these numbers match what JARVIS and I were able to get when we ran the simulations in the lab before creating the walls," Tony said, poking at his tablet. "What I like about these numbers is they are holding constant across the board, there's no flux down near the base of the walls, or around points where we allowed for windows to be installed. That alone tells me that this is a very stable, very strong material with several applications."

"How heavy is it?" Barton asked, leaning over Tony's shoulder.

"Too heavy, at this thickness, to be used for transports in a normal sense, but we might be able to make it work for tanks and other heavy armor vehicles," Tony said. "JARVIS, start running those numbers for me, let's see what we can come up with. Nick, I think we can go to the second phase of the testing and have the jets come in and try to blow up our little model houses."

Director Fury nodded. "This is the part I've been waiting for," he said. "It's one thing to be able to stop a bomb or an IED. Those are the greatest threats in certain areas, but if you're wanting the military to use this for bases in war zones, you have to worry about all other sorts of bombs."

Tony glanced back. "I dug out some old Stark tech that hasn't been destroyed yet for you guys to throw at these," he said. "If these walls stand up to weapons I designed, Nick, then you know they'll stand up to anything that's thrown at them by a conventional military. You still have to test for the Avengers, let us give you a baseline for your numbers there, but so far, this looks like it might be the first step in making our troops safer when they are in a war zone. I know there's no chance of ending wars any time soon, so if we can get more people home safe, then I'll consider that a small victory on a road to a larger one."

"Heads-up, we got Rogers coming in," Barton said. He picked up his bow and stayed where he was, leaning on Tony's chair. "Should I give the order to clear the area, Sir?"

"I'll do it," Fury grinned. "Captain Rogers, what can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if the team could come up here and watch from a higher viewpoint," Rogers replied. "All we're getting down there is rains of dirt and I think the team needs to be together for something like this."

Fury didn't sigh. His poker face was too good for that, but if he'd been anyone else, he would have. "You lot keep to the back and stay out of our way," he said. "You're here to watch, not ask questions or bother any of the science team." He picked up his radio. "Coulson, give the order to clear the field and then get your ass back up here."

"Yes, Sir," Coulson replied.

"Mr. Stark, what ordinance did you find for us to use today?" Fury asked, turning back to Tony.

"Nothing on par with the Jericho," Tony replied, punching up some things on his tablet. "There aren't enough targets set up here today for that one, not to mention I found every one of them and disarmed them myself once I was sure the threat from Obie was gone. I'm still trying to track down Stark Tech that was sold to the enemies, but there aren't trackers in them and it takes time. You've got some nice bombs coming in, a couple of missiles, and a few special things that go boom in spectacular ways."

"Indeed they do, Sir," JARVIS commented. "Although the one which erupts in blue flames is a bit of overkill."

"I told you not to mention that one, JARVIS," Tony said. "I thought you were running numbers for me."

"If I could not multitask, Sir, I wouldn't be me," JARVIS said. "The field is clear and a final sweep is being performed to ensure that no one remains behind. Should the buildings be clear, testing will commence on Director Fury's command."

"Blue flame?" Bruce muttered.

Barton grinned, not looking towards Tony or the test field. His eyes were fixed firmly on Rogers and his fingers were tapping his bow in a manner that would have been absently should it have been anyone else. "I like fireworks," he commented.

"Keep making comments like that, Agent Barton, and you'll see more fireworks than you've ever seen before," Fury said. "Is the field clear?"

"Yes, Sir," Coulson said, appearing next to him. "JARVIS has completed the sweep and we're waiting on your command."

"Start the first run," Fury ordered.

Coulson touched his earpiece to activate the radio in it. "First one green lit," he said.


	32. Chapter 32

Barton stayed where he was, facing back towards Rogers and Bruce, rather than watching the tests. Behind him, he could hear Tony muttering as new information came in from the test runs. "Okay, that looks good, high numbers on the impact and that was one of the stronger bombs I brought along," Tony was saying. "Wait, JARVIS, did that wall just fall over? No damage, just boom?"

"It would seem so, Sir," JARVIS replied. "I believe the fastenings the SHIELD R&D department used to build these test structures is sub-standard to the materials being tested."

"That's stupid. No, seriously, that's really stupid. I make them something that is boom proof and they use regular everyday materials to set it up," Tony said. "JARVIS, make a note that we need to come up with other building materials or a way to make these walls go up seamlessly. Second building is in tact, no damage beyond the fact that it's now sitting on a crater. Fury, we're going to want to move that so it doesn't go into a hole before we start the next round of tests. Third building is still standing, no damages coming in." He finally glanced up. "I think, Fury, that we have the start of something good here."

Fury nodded. "I'll have the scientists go in and fix those problems you were talking about," he said. "Do you really think you can create something for us that will hold these walls together?"

"Give me a week to run some tests in the lab and I'll know for sure," Tony said. He stood up. "Want to go see what happened to that one wall, Barton?"

Barton grinned. "Sure, I'm all for that," he said. "Then it's our turn, right?"

"You just want to try out your new boom arrows," Tony said. He paused for a minute when he realized that Rogers was blocking the stairs down. "Want to fly, Hawkeye?"

"Hell yeah."

Tony laughed. "Activate the suit, J."

"Yes, Sir," JARVIS said.

Barton grabbed his quiver and strapped it into place before adding his wrist guard and shooting glove. "See everyone down there," he grinned as Tony, in the Iron Man suit, picked him up and took off.

Coulson bit back a sigh and looked at Fury. "The two of them together are gold, Sir," he said.

"I'm aware of that, Agent Coulson," Fury said. "That doesn't mean I don't worry about the state of SHIELD's science department in the near future." He turned around and look at the remaining Avengers. "You'll start your part of these tests in half an hour. Dr. Banner, will you be able to let the Hulk out safely?"

"I think so," Banner replied. "He's curious about what's going on here and I think he'll want to come out and take a look. If not, well, Tony can always help."

"Not again," Coulson said firmly. "Captain Rogers, go ahead and suit up. You too, Thor. We're going to want to see what you guys can do against these walls."

"They've been hit by four rounds of bombs and other explosives," Rogers said. "Isn't that going to make them weaker?"

"We have new ones for you to attack as well," Coulson said. "Once Tony and JARVIS had finished reviewing the data from the latest rounds of testing, we'll have you go in one at a time to attack both a wall that has been through the bombings and one that is new. These numbers will give us a baseline for other extraordinary people."

Banner nodded. "Sound testing policy," he said. "I'm going to go and get ready. Have Tony or Barton come get me when it's time. The Hulk seems to like both of them a lot."

"We will," Coulson said. "Director, Sir?"

"I'm looking forward to the results of these tests the most," Fury said, watching the team go off to get ready for their part in it. "What do you think about all of that, Phil?"

"Sir, I think he's trying to get close to talk to Tony for some reason," Coulson replied. "And Barton isn't going to let him. You saw how on guard Hawkeye was while Rogers was up here. Even with the arrows that far away from him, Rogers would have been dead before he made it three steps towards Tony."

"We have to get this fixed, don't we?" Fury sighed.

"Yes, Sir."

"Damn. All right, I'll talk to Thor when the tests are done," Fury said. "Here's hoping that JARVIS hasn't made an error in his calculations."

"I have not, Director Fury."

Fury glared at the tablet in front of him. "Are you everywhere, JARVIS?" he asked.

"Indeed, Sir," JARVIS said.


	33. Chapter 33

"I want him to leave me alone," Tony said once he and Barton landed out in the field. The suit peeled off and went back into its case for when he would need it. "God, did you see how badly I was shaking up there?"

"Hey, come here," Barton said. He put his bow down and pulled Tony into a tight hug. "You're fine. I know, I know how hard that was, but you're fine. I was at your back, Tony, and I was watching him the whole time. He would have been dead if he'd taken one step towards you and damn what Fury would have done to me."

Tony rested his face in against Barton's neck. "What if he hurts you?" he asked. "What if he manages to hurt you to get to me?"

"He won't, Tony," Barton replied. "Remember that I know how to fight dirty and it takes a hell of a lot to knock me out of the game. I spar with Natasha for fun."

"Always knew you were crazy," Tony said. "I don't know if I can do this, Clint."

"Not even in your suit?" Barton asked.

"If I stay in full armor the whole time he'll want to ask me why," Tony replied. "I took my helmet off in the past when we're just standing around."

Barton kissed Tony's head. "So we tell him that you need to be in the air to gather additional data from the attacks," he said. "You're the one running these tests, Tony, and if he wants to question how you're getting data then that's his problem. Hey, someone's coming. Get behind me."

Tony moved behind Barton as the archer bent and picked up his bow, one hand moving over his shoulder for an arrow. "Oh, hey Doc."

"Clint, Tony," Banner said, walking into the clearing. "I told them that I wanted some time alone before I let the Hulk come out to play, but I really wanted to check on you. Are you holding up okay, Tony?"

"No, I thought I'd be okay, but I'm not," Tony admitted. "I'm scared, Bruce."

"And no one here who knows the truth would blame you for that," Bruce said. "It seems like even with all the magic and whatever the hell else Thor was throwing around with Rogers, something is still leaking through. Rogers is fixated on you, Tony, and that makes me nervous."

Barton nodded. "Me too," he said. "Rogers kept looking at me while the tests were going on. Probably wondering why the hell I was looking away from the test sites, but I wasn't going to turn my back on him. Not now."

"I just want this to be over so I can go back and be in my lab where I know I'm safe," Tony said. "I want this fear to go away."

"It will, Tony," Barton said. He wrapped Tony back up in a hug. "I can't tell you when, but it will. I hear movement in the woods, so go ahead and suit up. Let's keep you safe. You know that no one can get into that suit of yours."

"Yeah," Tony said. He slowly pulled back and sighed. "Okay, I'm going to be in the air from this point out. Anyone asks, I'm using your idea, Legolas."

"It's all yours," Barton grinned. He stepped back to let Tony suit up. "My idea, Bruce, is that Tony needs to be in the air to get extra data for the materials we're testing so he can make them better for SHIELD and the military."

Banner nodded. "Good idea," he said. He looked over at the group. "I'm ready when the rest of you are."

"All right, we'll go in waves," Coulson said. "Each wall you're going to be attacking has been painted with your colors. Iron Man - red and gold. Hulk - green. Captain America - blue and white. Thor, you've got silver and brown. I know you wear red in your battle dress, but we wanted to make sure there was no confusion. Hawkeye...."

"Yeah, I know, purple," Barton grinned. "What order are we going in, Coulson?"

"Iron Man is first so he can be available for any other data collection he needs to do," Coulson said. "Then Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and the Hulk last. We figured we should probably have Hawkeye ready just in case, Bruce."

Banner grinned. "Works for me," he said. "Are we also going to be trying to break into the possibly weakened structures?"

"You are," Coulson said. "Give every attack everything you can. We need a strong baseline to get ready for manufacture of these materials for real life action. Iron Man, whenever you're ready."

"I'm going to be hovering near the test sites to get some data from above," Tony said through the suit's speakers. "Thor, be careful where you aim that lightning of yours for me, okay?"

"I shall," Thor said with a nod.

"Okay, see you guys when this is done," Tony said and took off towards the field.

Barton moved over to stand next to Coulson. "You heard?" he whispered.

"Yeah, tonight," Coulson replied.

"Understood," Barton said, hand tight on his bow. He hadn't thought it would be so hard to be armed near Rogers and not hurt him for what he'd done to Tony. Especially after Tony's near breakdown at the thought of having to be in the group again. It was probably something they were going to have to talk about when they got home. Tony still had so far to go, and Barton didn't know if it would break him in the end or not.


	34. Chapter 34

"Those were good numbers," Tony said later that night. The trio was having a late dinner on the balcony off Tony's floor. "I especially like the numbers from Rogers' test. There's not a chance of him breaking into my lab. That, that really makes me feel very safe."

"It was a bit much when Hulk threw his wall at the other structures," Coulson said dryly. 

"Are you kidding? That was awesome," Tony said. "The data we gathered from that one attack showed us that there really is no flaw in this material. As long as I can build something to hook it all together, we have a way to make buildings in war zones safe from bombs and missiles. Think how many lives will be safe now."

"All because of you, Tony," Barton said. "Have you given Pepper the okay to release the information to the press?"

Tony shook his head. "I want to make sure that I can ensure the walls stay up, so that means more lab time," he said. "I did give Nick the okay to release the videos of the test to the military brass in charge of this sort of thing. JARVIS tells me that there's a couple of guys really interested in this, especially the rumors of safer transports."

"What's the good word, J?" Barton asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Safety," JARVIS replied dryly.

"Where did he learn sarcasm from?" Barton asked.

"Me most likely," Tony replied with a grin. "I programmed him to constantly learn and he is hooked into the media as well. I'm always just happy that he doesn't act up around strangers."

Coulson smiled. "He gave Fury quite a turn today," he said.

"Director Fury needs to realize that I am there whenever Mr. Stark is, Sir," JARVIS said. "There is never a time when I am not watching over him."

"He's lucky to have you, JARVIS," Barton said. "We all are. So, change of subject time. Tony, you want to talk about what happened today?"

"Not really," Tony sighed. "I know I need to. God, I could feel his eyes on me today, even when I was in the air. He was staring at me and it felt like he was undressing me with his eyes. It's never been this bad before. I didn't feel any of this when I was rescued before."

"Probably because your attacker is someone you knew and trusted," Barton said. "Tony, I meant what I said today. He is not going to be able to get near you. You didn't notice all my weapons today, did you?"

"Bow, gun on the left thigh, knife in the right boot," Tony said.

Barton grinned. "Three throwing knives in the back of my belt, a garrot in my arm guard, a small gun in my left boot, and three extra rounds of ammo for my guns."

"Really?" Tony asked, eyes wide.

"That's not to mention the two guns, four knives and three throwing knives Phil was carrying," Barton added with a nod at his lover. "He hides a lot under those suits of his."

"They've added a small bomb to my watch, Clint," Coulson said.

"Add in your armor and you were the safest one on the field today, Tony," Barton said, ignoring the comment about the bomb. Half of the things R&D came up with for Coulson were rumors, and if his lover really did have a small explosive device strapped to his wrist, he really didn't want to know about it.

"I know, but I just feel dirty," Tony said. "Does that make sense?"

"Of course it does, and I've felt exactly the same," Barton said. "Want to bathe together? That tub of yours in big enough for the three of us and we can help you wash."

Tony nodded slowly. "I'd like that," he said. "I would, just, slow?"

"Slow, Tony," Barton promised. "Very slow."  
***

"What are we going to do about Rogers?" Barton asked later that night when he and Coulson were alone out in the living room. Tony was soundly asleep with JARVIS watching him for any sign of distress. The AI promised to call if Tony's breathing pattern changed.

"I don't know," Coulson said. "You and Bruce are right that Rogers is still fixated on Tony and that alone worries me. Fury was going to talk to Thor and I guess they're going to take action tomorrow. We might have more problems coming that we thought we would."

"Not to mention we still have to try and fix Nat," Barton said. "I really hope it's residual magic that made her talk to me like she did and not some other reason."

Coulson nodded and slipped his arm around Barton's shoulders. "Me too," he said. "You and Natasha are such good friends, I would really hate to see you lose that. Right now, we continue as we have been and wait for word from Fury. If things continue like this, we might be making some day trips to let Tony talk with people about his latest invention."

"Guard duty I can live with, as long as it's for Tony," Barton said. "So, did you hear what JARVIS said just before we came out here?"

"No, it must have been in your earpiece," Coulson replied. "What's up?"

"The military is interested in this material, and they're sending Rhodey to talk to Tony about it," Barton said. "He'll be here in time for lunch tomorrow."

"And he doesn't know what happened to Tony," Coulson finished. "Tony doesn't need the added stress right now."

"I'll tell him."

The pair twisted and found Tony in the doorway. "Hey, come here," Barton said, holding out a hand. "You're shaking. JARVIS?"

"He's cold, Sir," JARVIS replied. 

"Come sit between us, we'll warm you up," Barton said. "How long have you been back there, Tony?"

"Two seconds. Rhodey's coming?"

"Tomorrow. Are you sure you want to tell him the truth?" Coulson asked. 

Tony nodded. "He's my best friend, aside from you two," he said. "I owe him the truth. I'll make sure he doesn't go and punch Rogers or something."

"All right, it's your choice," Barton said. He shifted until he was curled up against Tony, trying to warm the other man up. "Everything is your choice, Tony. Just let us know."

"I just want it to end," Tony said. "I want all of this over so I don't have to be scared anymore."

"I know," Barton sighed. "I know, and I wish I could make that happen for you, Tony. You've got power back, you were able to function with Rogers in the same area. I know you were scared and you had a guard with you, but that's a step back into your previous power. You're such a strong man, Tony. I wish everyone was as brave and caring as you are."

Tony leaned against Barton and felt Coulson curl up on his other side as a slight human blanket. He realized that with the pair of men with him he didn't feel trapped, he felt safe. "I'd almost rather face Rogers as he was before Thor meddled."

"You might get a chance to if things continue on as they are," Coulson said. "We'll know more tomorrow, Tony. Do you think you can go back to sleep?"

"Will you two come with me?"

"Of course, we just needed to get on the same page," Barton said. "Come on, Tony, let's get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a big day for all of us."


	35. Chapter 35

"Sir, Steve Rogers has entered the vent network," JARVIS said softly over the comm that he and Barton used.

Barton went from sound asleep to completely awake faster than most people would have thought possible. He started cursing in his head, not wanting to wake Tony up and slipped out of bed. Coulson's head turned to watch him. Barton used their special sign code to indicate the vents and danger. Coulson nodded and reached out to grab his gun from the bedside table. With a last look at Tony, Barton grabbed his knife and went out into the living room. "Where is he, JARVIS?" he asked softly.

"Still on his level, though it appears that he is searching for an opening to move to another floor," JARVIS said via the comm. "The level Mr. Stark is on is secure from any manner of infiltration. I thought that you would wish to go and flush out the vents."

"Good idea, JARVIS," Barton said. "Phil should have an ear piece in by now, he doesn't have one of the small implanted ones anymore. Let's get this taken care of without waking Tony up if we can."

"A very good idea, Sir," JARVIS said. "How will you get down to the area in question?"

"My way," Barton said. He opened the grate over the vent just next to the elevator and slipped inside, locking it behind him. "Lock it down, JARVIS. No one in or out without Tony's permission. We don't know what's going on and, with magic involved, I want to be sure that Rogers can't use me to get to Tony."

"Shall I alert Thor to the problem?" JARVIS asked.

"Not yet, but let Fury know," Barton replied. He started down the ladder towards the common floor. "I think that Tony's instincts are getting stronger and we need to really start paying attention to what he says. Remember, he said he felt like he was being undressed whenever Rogers looked at him today? I think that Thor's magic didn't work."

"A most distressing situation," JARVIS said. "Rogers has broken through one of the welds and is in the network. The locks will stop him, but it is possible you might run into him."

Barton growled. "My vents," he said. "Track him, JARVIS. Let's see if we can't trap him like a rat in these."

"Indeed, Sir," JARVIS said. "It seems that he is trying for the lab rather than Mr. Stark's personal quarters."

"That doesn't surprise me, after the day we had, all the new data Tony gathered, most people would expect him to be in the lab working," Barton said. He paused on one of the little platforms he'd installed and looked around. "How close am I to one of my bags of tricks, JARVIS?"

"One level down, Clint," JARVIS said. 

"What Rogers doesn't know is that Phil and I have been making sure that Tony eats and gets enough sleep," Barton continued, swinging onto the ladder to the next floor. "So we had him out of the lab by midnight, which is early for him. Not that it matters, the lab level is completely closed off."

"As Rogers is finding," JARVIS reported. "The electricity from the locks is working just as we planned for it to. Rogers is not able to break through although we should see about replacing the grates with a stronger material. Several of them have dented."

"He's going to pay not only for going after Tony but for messing with my nest," Barton said. He grabbed the bag and started through it. He'd placed similar bags at secure locations around the vent network, full of smaller weapons and other tricks that could be helpful if he ever had to fight anyone from inside the network. "How's it look up top?"

"Mr. Stark is still asleep and Agent Coulson is standing watch," JARVIS said. "I informed him of your order and he agreed. He'll shoot anyone who comes out of the vent network without the proper code."

Barton grinned. "I love it when Phil gets nasty like that," he said. "Where's Rogers now, JARVIS?"

"Coming your way."

"Then let's see if I can't stop him here," Barton said. He slipped down a side vent and flipped around so he was facing the vent that Rogers would have to crawl along to get to the main part of the system coming up from the lab level. It was a tight fit, but Barton had been in tighter spots and managed to get out of them in one piece. He readied the needle and waited.

He heard Rogers before he saw him. The vents were wide, but not exactly made for a man Rogers size. Barton grinned, at least Rogers would be sweeping up the dust anywhere he went. He went sniper still, all his senses fixed on the spot in front of him where Rogers would pass. The sedative in the syringe was strong enough to knock out the Hulk and would last for half an hour with Rogers enhanced metabolism. When Rogers passed by, Barton reached out and jabbed him in the small of the back, depressing the plunger and sending the drug into his system. Rogers' yell echoed through the metal vents, but he was too big to twist to find Barton, who had slipped back farther into the small vent to avoid attack.

Barton grinned when Rogers went still. "JARVIS, get Banner and Thor and have them meet me by the Hulk's prison. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who wants answers."


	36. Chapter 36

Tony went bolt upright at the scream echoing through the vents and would have run if not for the arms around him. "You're safe, Tony," Coulson said. "You're safe. I'm here. I'm armed and JARVIS is on full alert. You're safe."

"Clint?" Tony asked, looking around.

"In the vents," Coulson replied. "Tony, he's fine. Honest. Ask JARVIS to check."

"He is fine, Sir," JARVIS said without prompting. "We had a rather large rat enter the vent network and Agent Barton went to trap it."

"Rogers," Tony said. "He was trying to get to me in the vents."

Coulson shifted around in front of Tony. "Listen to me, Tony. We hadn't had a chance to secure his floor beyond welds and he was able to break those," he said. "We'd hoped the size of the vents would stop him even thinking about them, but he managed to squeeze in. The locks held. He didn't get near one of your floors. JARVIS alerted Clint and he went to take care of it."

"So what was that scream?" Tony asked.

"That was Rogers objecting to the injection of sedative, Sir," JARVIS replied. "Rogers is currently back in the Hulk cell with Agent Barton, Dr. Banner and Thor watching him. Director Fury is on the way."

"I want to see him," Tony said. "He's secure, right? He can't get out of the cell? I'm done with this. I want him to know that he's sick and I hate him."

"Are you sure?" Coulson asked.

"I have to do this," Tony replied. "Let me get dressed. Phil. I have to, I need to do this."

"All right, Tony, I understand," Coulson said. "I'll be right beside you the whole time. Just remember that he's going to try and get you in close to the cell. Don't fall into the trap."

Tony took a deep breath. "I won't," he said.  
***

"Okay, so Thor, what's going on here?" Barton asked. "Because it's pretty obvious that Rogers there is still pretty fixated on Tony."

"He has broken through the locks I placed on his mind," Thor replied. "I know not how it happened, a human should not have been able to overthrow my magic thusly."

Bruce sighed. "It has to be the super-soldier serum," he said. "I mean, think about it. Because of the procedure he went through back in the forties, he's been physically changed. His body heals faster, he's a super-human."

"I bet you're right," Barton said. "Thor wouldn't have known about the changes because they're such a part of Rogers now. His brain must have literally overwritten the locks and restored him back to his factory settings."

"You shouldn't hide your smart, Hawk," Fury said as he walked into the room with the cell.

"Director, Sir," Barton said.

"I won't order you to stand down, Hawkeye," Fury said. "Because I know you're not going to. Just don't shoot to kill."

"He's not getting out of there any time soon," Bruce said. "I had JARVIS make a few of those new walls we were testing today and installed them over the existing material. The Hulk wouldn't be able to break out of there, so there's no way that Rogers is."

"Very sneaky, Dr. Banner," Fury said. "How long until Rogers wakes up?"

"Another ten minutes or so," Barton replied. "I just wanted him out long enough to get him locked down. As much as I wanted to kill him, I figured we needed to figure out what's going on."

"Director Fury," Coulson said.

"Coulson, what the hell?" Barton started.

"I asked him to bring me down," Tony said following Coulson into the room. "I just, I need to be here, Clint."

Barton went over and pulled Tony into a tight hug. "Are you sure?" he whispered.

"No, but I have to try," Tony said. "He's secure, right. I mean, he's not going to be able to escape any time soon."

"He is in full lockdown protocols, Sir," JARVIS said. "I have taken the added precaution of adding an electric charge to the handle of the door on the inside. Dr. Banner and I have been modifying the cell. There is no possible method of escape for Rogers to use at this time."

"He's waking up," Bruce said.

Fury motioned for all of them to stand back and went up to the glass wall of the cell. "Well, Captain Rogers, it seems that you continue to amaze with your powers," he said. "Welcome back. You want to tell me what the hell you were doing in the vent network trying to get into Stark's lab tonight?"

"You know the answer to that one, Director Fury," Rogers said, pushing up into a sitting position. "I don't know how you made me forget about it for a couple of weeks, but Howard gave Tony to me and I'm going to get what's mine."

"Human beings are not property," Fury said. "It doesn't matter what you think Howard Stark meant when he said you could have anything you wanted. His son was never included in the deal."

"Sure he was, anything means anything," Rogers said. "I see you back there, Tony."

Tony stepped forward a little, although he stayed close to both Barton and Coulson. "My father wasn't the best man in the world, he certainly wasn't the best father, but he believed one thing and that was that all people should be free to make their own choices," he said. "That was why he worked so hard against the Axis in the Second World War, and why he started making weapons. He believed in freedom. Freedom of choice, freedom to live how a person wanted to live. He also believed in science to make a better world for humans to live in. I am not, nor have I ever been, my father. I am the one who said no to the continued violence that we were aiding with the production of weapons and have taken the steps to follow the dream my father had of a healthy, clean world for everyone to live on. With this sick fixation of yours, Steve, you are dishonoring my father's memory, my father's legacy and are being a really crap human being. You think you own me, fine. Slavery was abolished in the 1800s. I don't owe you one damn thing, but you know what, I'll give you something anyway because my father owed you a debt. I would have thought finding you in the ice and giving you a second chance at life would have been enough, but I guess not. You'll find money in your account. You're going with Director Fury and you aren't to come near this tower again. If you do, I'll have you arrested like the common criminal you are."

"I don't want money, Tony, I want you," Rogers said. "I'll get you too. What do you think the press would say if they knew you rolled over for me in the lab?"

"Empty threat, Rogers," Tony said. "The world knows that I'm bisexual and they've seen a lot worse from me over the years. Fury and SHIELD are the ones worried about the press, not me. Besides, you're too late. Pepper released a story for me just before I came down here. You aren't named, but they know I was raped. One thing that's changed since you were around last time, people hate rapists."

"Coulson," Fury said.

"Tony's choice, Sir," Coulson said. "He didn't name his attacker, but if Rogers comes forward with any story now, there is enough information available now that people will realize who attacked Tony."

"I'm not the person you think I am, Rogers," Tony said. "You've always seen the playboy and never looked behind the mask to see the real me. The person who cares enough about the people of this planet to have flown a bomb into another dimension on a trip that shouldn't have had a return attached to it. I got lucky. I am not now nor will I ever be anyone's property. Not SHIELD's, not yours and certainly not the slave you seem to want. Director Fury, I'll remain a member of the Avengers because I believe in what we're trying to accomplish with the initiative, but I will never be around the team out of my suit. If I'm attacked by a teammate during a battle, I'm done."

Fury nodded. "You've shown more bravery tonight than a lot of men I've known could have, Stark," he said. "That includes Howard. I promise you that SHIELD will keep a very tight leash on Rogers there. In fact, I think I want to contract you to build his new apartment for us."

"JARVIS can arrange the details," Tony said. "I'm going to shower. Being close to him is making me sick."


	37. Chapter 37

"Go with him, Barton," Coulson said.

"Sir." Barton didn't look back at Rogers, just turned and left the room at a jog. "JARVIS, how far ahead of me is Tony?"

"Just to the lift, Sir. Should I hold it?"

"Ask him if you can," Barton said. "If he needs to run, get him out of here and I'll take a different way up."

"He'll wait, Sir, but hurry."

Barton sped up and almost skidded into the elevator. "Clear, J," he said. "Tony, what do you need?"

"Hot water, soap, lot of hot water," Tony said. "I need to feel clean again, Clint. I need to get him off of me."

"We can do that," Barton said. "I won't let you scald yourself or hurt yourself while you're washing, but we'll get you clean again, Tony. I promise. You were brilliant in there. That took so much courage and power to stand up to him like that, Tony. You really had Pepper release a report to the public?"

Tony nodded and leaned against the wall. "I figured that if he was going to hurt me by telling people what happened, then I would take that power away from him forever," he said. "I mean, he can still run his mouth, but with the report coming out in a few hours, it limits the amount of damage he would be able to do."

"It's a brave move, Tony," Barton said. "Go on into the shower. I'm going to grab a couple of things and I'll come in with you." He went over to his drawer and started to dig around. "JARVIS, monitor the water temperature for me. Make it hot, but not damaging. Firm spray. Let's get him feeling better."

"Yes, Sir," JARVIS said. "Is there anything I can provide for you?"

"I'll let you know," Barton said. He pulled out the brush kit he'd picked up in Asia and went into the bathroom. "You okay to let me come in with you, Tony?"

"Yeah, come on," Tony said. "I don't know why, Clint, but through this all, I've never once been upset or scared when you've been the one with me. It doesn't bother me when you touch me. What do you have there?"

"A special kit I picked up on one of my trips overseas," Barton said. He kicked his cargo pants off and stepped into the large shower with Tony. "These are scrub brushes that will take off one layer of skin if you're careful with them. Let me wash you?"

"Please."

"I'll get you clean again, Tony," Barton said softly. He picked up the back scrubber and reached for the pine scented soap. "Once you're feeling more yourself, we can talk if you want to. I'm so proud of you, Tony. Nick's right, you're one of the bravest men I've ever known. Don't ever stop being so amazing."

Tony looked back and nodded. "I won't," he said with a weak smile.


	38. Chapter 38

"As much as I think we need to get him moved, I don't have a cell available right now to hold him," Fury sighed. "JARVIS, how quickly will you be able to fabricate the walls we need to keep Rogers secure on the Helicarrier?"

"Two days, Director Fury," JARVIS replied. "However, that is not allowing for Mr. Stark creating new fastenings for the walls. I believe that the cell here is the safest place for the time being. There is no manner in which Rogers will be able to exit it and I will be able to remain on guard."

Coulson nodded. "As much as I hate having him in the Tower with us, Sir, I think JARVIS is right," he said. "Until we can be sure that Rogers is secure whenever there isn't a battle or need for him to be out, we need to make sure we can keep him secure."

"So I'm a prisoner," Rogers said. "So much for American ideals."

"This is a better offer then you'd get if Tony pressed charges and it went into the legal system," Coulson pointed out. "Prison would be the least of your worries, Rogers. You seem to be ignoring one point here and that is the bare fact that you assaulted another person. You violated their most basic rights and that alone makes you a criminal in the eyes of the American justice system. Actually, it makes you a criminal in pretty much every country in the world. Get used to being contained. I don't see you getting a release any time soon."

"We'll have to review the details at a later time, Coulson," Fury said. "JARVIS, I'm leaving Rogers in your care until such time as we have his prison ready. Dr. Banner, Thor, let's go up to the common level and talk."  
***

Coulson was quiet getting off the elevator on Tony's floor. He didn't know if Barton would have been able to get the other man to sleep or not, but he hoped that Tony was able to get at least a little more sleep before the day started. Releasing the story to the press was going to create a fire storm and Coulson had a feeling that Tony would actually be at a press conference before the day was out. 

"Hey," Barton said when he caught sight of Coulson, "come join us. Tony decided he wanted ice cream, so we're having sundaes. Hungry?"

"Not really, but I'll take some coffee if there's any made," Coulson said. He sat down across from the pair. "Tony, how are you holding up?"

"About like you think I am," Tony said. "Clint helped me wash, although I think he lied about those brushes. Those things were nasty, but it helped. I don't feel clean, but I feel better. Like I'm not going to crawl out of my skin any time soon. Is this what you guys were talking about with recovering and talking and not knowing how I was going to react?"

"Yeah," Barton said. "You're handling things pretty well though, Tony. I don't know that I would have been brave enough to tell the public what happened to me. This is something very personal and you're telling the world."

"I don't want him to have any power over me," Tony said. "None. I know I can out-fly the shield when we're in a battle, and I know I'll have both of you watching out for me whenever he's around. I've got JARVIS rewriting protocols for the Tower and the house out in Malibu. There's the two external vents into the Tower that he's running numbers for me. They're secure beyond anything inside, they have to be, but I want them completely secure. I don't want a mouse getting into my Tower without me knowing about it."

"It'll take time for you to feel safe here again, Tony," Coulson said. "I think the hardest part is going to be when Clint and I are back on active duty for field postings. Are you going to be okay if we're both gone?"

Tony sighed and looked down at his ice cream. "I'll survive. I mean, I can't pin my comfort levels on the two of you being here, I have to be able to manage on my own. We have dangerous lives. What happens if one of you dies?" he asked. "I know I need to get back to the point where I can be here alone and function. I'll just probably have the suit with me for emergencies."

"No one says you have to be better in a year, Tony," Barton said. "Or two years. You'll get better at your own speed and, one day, you'll realize that you're doing fine. No one can tell how long that's going to be because everyone is different. I'm not planning to die any time soon, and the upgrades you make to my field suits will keep me around a lot longer. Same thing with Phil."

"Clint's right," Coulson said. "We're both planning to be around for a long time, Tony. We wouldn't go off and leave you alone when you need us. Clint and I are both dirty fighters and, while we might get hurt, will be back at the end of the mission. You have clearance to know our status in the field now. Fury added that onto your paperwork. You can't know the details of what we're doing, but you can at least find out how we are."

"Thank you," Tony said. "So, how big a media circus do you think I'll have to deal with in the morning?"

"I'd worry less about the press and more about Rhodey," Barton pointed out. "He's still due in to talk to you about this new material you've developed, Tony."

"Aw, shit, I forgot," Tony groaned. "I don't suppose you can hide me tomorrow, can you? Agent, you know the material, you could talk to him. Tell him I'm not feeling good or something."

Barton moved over and wrapped Tony in a hug. "We'll see how you feel after a few hours sleep," he said softly. "Come on, Phil and I will be on either side of you, Tony. We'll keep you safe. We'll always keep you safe."

"Promise?" Tony asked.

"Promise," Barton replied.

Coulson didn't say anything. He knew that the other two knew how dangerous their lives were and how easily things could go wrong. Tony needed to focus on the positive for as long as he could.


	39. Chapter 39

Tony groaned and hid his head under the pillow when JARVIS started talking way too early in the morning. "Sir, Ms. Potts is on the phone. There has been a request for a press conference," JARVIS said. "She strongly encourages you to do this if you feel up to it."

"They want details," Tony muttered into the pillow. "Damn it, I was expecting people to show up here at the Tower, to try and catch me when I was out doing something, not be this organized and gather together like jackals so quickly."

"You released the information that you were assaulted and raped, Tony," Barton said gently. He pulled the pillow away just enough so that he could see Tony's face. "You're Iron Man and you have a lot of admirers out there. It'll be chaos, but it might not be a bad idea for you to go and give a statement. Let them see you at your calmest and then you can collapse as soon as you're away from the cameras. It'll do wonders for your image."

"I hate talking to the press," Tony said.

"Your choice, Tony," Coulson said. "Just like everything else, this is your choice."

Tony sighed and rolled onto his back. "What the hell," he said. "They're only going to hound me until I agree. Might as well get this over with so I can focus on my work. I have to get the fasteners for the walls created and built. I need to look at numbers for other materials for transports. I don't know what else I need to do, but there's a lot of it. JARVIS, call Pepper and have her announce that I'll hold a press conference at Stark Industries press room at ten. That gives me time to get there, right?"

"It does, Sir," JARVIS said. "Shall I arrange for transport for the three of you?"

"Yeah, have Happy bring one of the larger cars in," Tony said. "There goes the morning."

Barton rumpled Tony's hair with a fond smile. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up. Phil can figure out what we're all wearing. He's got the best fashion sense of all of us."

"You're going out in public, Hawkeye?" Tony asked.

"I'll have dark glasses on," Barton replied. "As long as I'm careful and don't say anything, I'll be fine. Come on, might as well get this over with."

"This is probably the most insane thing I've done in a long time," Tony muttered, following Barton into the bathroom.  
*****

"Okay, exactly how many news agencies are here?" Tony asked, looking at the monitors in the back area of the press room. "That's a lot more people than I was expecting there to be."

"You still okay to do this?" Barton asked. He'd grabbed a disguise from the kit Coulson, for some reason, had at the Tower so he would be able to be out on the stage with Tony and not risk compromising his deep cover work.

"I think they would riot if I didn't," Tony said. "Let's get this over with and then I'm going back to the Tower and I'm going to hide away in my lab for the rest of my life. Everyone would understand if I did that, right?"

Barton kissed Tony's cheek, not wanting to mess up the suit they'd convinced Tony to wear. "Of course we do," he said. "You hide in the lab and create awesome things and I'll get the vents taken care of. A mouse won't be able to sneeze in there without us knowing about it by the time I'm done. I'm even talking to JARVIS about getting some rotating knives in a few places."

"Monty Python jokes, really?" Tony asked with a shaky smile.

"It got me a smile. It's fair game," Barton said. "Phil's ready to go out and get this started. Come on, I'll be right behind you the whole time."

"Thank you," Tony whispered.

Out on the raised platform, Coulson had stepped up to the microphone and held his hands up for silence. "Good morning everyone and thank you for coming," he said. "In a moment we're going to bring Mr. Stark out to make a statement and answer some questions. Unlike previous press conferences, Mr. Stark will only be taking one question at a time as he is still recovering from his ordeal and this is his first time out in a public setting. So we ask you to respect that, take your seats and, if you have a question, raise your hand. One of the interns will bring you a microphone so that everyone will be able to hear you. Should you get out of control or attempt to turn this into any form of stressful circus, Mr. Stark will be removed from the stage and the conference will be over. This is your only warning. Please take your seats and show respect for Mr. Stark. Thank you."

"Only Agent would treat a herd of reporters like errant school boys," Tony whispered to Barton from the wings.

"You should see how he treats junior agents," Barton whispered in reply. "He's ready for us, Tony. I'm right here. If you need to go backstage or leave just move. I'll follow your lead."

Tony took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, here we go," he said. He didn't know what he was expecting when he stepped out onto the platform, but silence wasn't it. Usually when he spoke to the public about anything they were fighting for his attention. Maybe having Coulson start the conference was a better idea than he'd thought. Coulson nodded to him and stepped to the side, allowing Tony to be at the podium with the microphone and flanked by the SHIELD agents.

"Thank you all for coming," Tony said. "As released by my office during the evening hours, several weeks ago I was attacked and raped. I have chosen not to name my attacker at this time, although he is someone that I know. The reason I decided to go public with my attack is two-fold. One, there have been some threats by my attacker to try and control me by releasing the details of the rape to the public. I refuse to cower away and become a slave to anyone and decided that I would rather make the knowledge public myself than worry every day over what he might say. Two, I know there are other men out there who are rape victims and I'm hoping that by opening up like this, maybe they can find the strength to get the help they need to be able to heal and move on. Assaults can happen to anyone, it doesn't matter how big and strong you are if someone gets the drop on you from behind, as happened to me. I was in my home, in a place I felt safe when I was attacked. I have been with friends recovering from both the physical assault that knocked me out for a brief time and from the rape. I don't know how long it will take for me to feel safe again, but as you can see, I've been given bodyguards to at least help me feel a little more secure in public. Following the rules put in place before I came out, I will now take questions."

Barton tensed, knowing that it was the moment when everyone could start talking at once and knew that would be too much for Tony's senses. He was surprised when the reporters and writers actually followed the rules Coulson had put in place and raised their hands. Barton wasn't surprised to see there were so many questions.

"Mr. Stark, why won't you release the name of your attacker?"

"There's nothing to be gained from it," Tony replied. "My attacker is in custody and will be tried for his actions. He is going to suffer enough for his crimes. I'm not going to lower myself to his level and disgrace his name. He managed that on his own and, if he wants to admit to it, then that's his business. I'm here today to take power away from him and back for myself, and to hopefully give others a way to find their own paths to healing. Is it easy, no." Tony held up is hands to show how badly they were shaking. "One thing I've learned through this is that it's not a weakness to show weakness."

"As Iron Man, how was someone able to sneak up on you?"

"I don't wear the suit at home," Tony said. "Not unless I'm testing it, adjusting or otherwise working on it. Outside the suit, I'm human. Yeah, I'm smart. I've got computers and AIs and other stuff around me, but I felt safe where I was. My attacker was someone that I considered a friend and I let my guard down around. There was no warning that I was going to be attacked. Look, I'm a fighter, I know martial arts and boxing, but when someone sneaks up behind you and hits you over the head, you're gonna go down unless you're Thor or the Hulk. This was more than a rape, it was a betrayal of my trust, and that's not something I'll be able to recover from quickly."

"Do you have a group you'd recommend rape victims talk to?"

"That's a good question there, that one shows thought to others," Tony said, pointing. "I don't because I haven't spoken to anyone other than the official groups. If you are raped, go to the hospital and get checked out. Get treatment and report it. That's going to be the hardest thing you do, but you have to take care of yourself. The hospital and the police will have other resources for you to use. I wanted to hide away and hope that everything just went away for me, but one of my fellow Avengers tracked me down and talked to me. Turns out they'd been through something similar and knew how much talking helped, even though it was hard. Before you ask, no, the Avenger wasn't raped. They were tortured, but it's still a huge part of you being taken away and controlled by someone else."

"What advice do you have for those who have been raped and not reported it?"

"Give yourself time. Be ready for nightmares and flashbacks and the shakes," Tony said. "If you have someone you trust completely, someone that you know will be there for you no matter what, you can ask them to come and spend the night. It helps to have someone around to talk to at one in the morning when you can't sleep. You're hurting yourself more if you hide it."

"Are you planning to leave the Avengers?"

Tony sighed. "No, I will be remaining with the Avengers for as long as they want me around," he said. "I believe in what we're doing as a group. I want to protect the planet, protect the people here for as long as I'm able. I'm not just doing that through my work with the Avengers, there will be some press releases soon about new materials being developed for use by the military."

"How do your fellow Avengers feel about your attack and you coming forward as you have?"

"They're all shocked and angry," Tony said. "But I also know they're behind me no matter what choice I want to make because, while we're a team, we're also people and people have to do what we have to do. I am not going to lose my place because I stepped forward today."

"Agent Barton, Sir," JARVIS said via their usual channel, "I'm detecting a weapon in the back of the room."

Barton started scanning the people standing at the back of the room and noticed that one of them was standing oddly. "Bring out the suit, J," he whispered.

Several things happened at once. Tony was wrapped in the Iron Man suit a fraction of a second before three bullets impacted with him. Barton returned fire and took out the shooter before the reporters were out of their seats in a panic. Coulson stepped forward, "everyone remain calm and seated, please," he said in a tone that promised punishment if not obeyed. "Mr. Stark, are you all right?"

"Fine," Tony said through the suit's speakers.

Barton hopped down off the platform and approached the shooter carefully. "He's dead," he reported. "We're clear."

"Let's get him out of here and wrap this up," Coulson said. "Where's Happy?"

"Where do I know you from?" Barton asked softly, staring down at the dead shooter. "JARVIS, get his details. I want to work this out."

"Done, Sir," JARVIS said. "If you would return to Mr. Stark, Happy will handle the rest of the clean-up."

"On my way." Barton tucked his gun away and hurried back up to the stage. "Tony, why don't you fly home and lock yourself in. We'll be right behind you, but I'd feel better having you tucked away."

"See you at the Tower then," Tony said. He walked to the back of the room and out the door, taking off smoothly.

Barton looked over at Coulson. "We really need to get those force fields they keep promising us, Sir."

Coulson just nodded.


	40. Chapter 40

Fury glared at them all from the monitor in the Tower's conference room. "I want to know how the hell an agent of SHIELD found out about this press conference and why the hell he thought it would be a good idea to go in and attempt to murder Iron Mac," he said.

"The shooter was a junior agent who had been with SHIELD for six months," Coulson said, reading off his tablet. "Didn't stand out much in any one field except for working with people. He seemed to be able to get anyone to open up about anything and his handler was recommending him for either the counseling staff or interrogation training. At this time we don't know why he was at the press conference or why he came armed. JARVIS is reviewing the video footage of everyone arriving to see if our shooter was with one of them or if he came in alone."

"Sir, I recognized the shooter," Barton said. "Not enough to put a name to him or know he was SHIELD, but I've seen him around base and up on the Helicarrier. Unfortunately, I also know who one of his primary teachers was."

"Who?" Coulson asked.

"Natasha," Barton replied.

Fury looked even more unimpressed, if that was possible. "Agent Romanov is under deep cover in a remote location, Agent Barton," he said. "I don't think it's possible that she's making phone calls."

"Nick," Barton said, "Natasha always has a way to make contact with me whenever she's on assignment whether it's deep cover or not. I'm her safety net. You know she doesn't trust her handlers. Now, I haven't heard from her, but it's possible she used the contact device to get in touch with this junior agent for some reason. We know she wasn't acting like herself before she left for her assignment. I think we need to check through all the kid's stuff and find out if he heard from Nat."

"Are we still thinking that some stray magic hit her while Thor was working on Rogers?" Fury asked.

"I don't want to think that she's turned on us, Sir," Barton sighed. "She's been my friend for a long time, but if she has...."

"I'm not going to ask you to do that, Hawk," Fury said. "Where's Tony?"

"Locked in his lab working on the suit from this morning," Coulson said. "He said he wanted to get the dings out as soon as possible."

"Barton, go on down and check on him," Fury said. "Phil and I will take care of the rest of this. JARVIS, can you lend a hand?"

"I would be delighted to, Director Fury," JARVIS replied. "Clint, Mr. Stark needs to eat. Would you be willing to take some food along with you when you head down to the lab level?"

"Sure, J, no problem," Barton said. "Check deep into the junior agent's stuff, Nick. The contact Natasha uses doesn't leave standard traces."

Coulson watched his lover leave the room and sighed. "This hurts him more than he wants anyone to know about, Nick," he said. "Do you really think it's possible that Natasha put out a hit on Tony from halfway around the world?"

"I've learned one thing in this job, Phil, and that's that anything is possible," Fury said. "Did you know that Agent Romanov carried a contact device with her that would allow her to talk with Hawkeye?"

"No, Sir, or I would have reported it," Coulson said. "Learning about it doesn't surprise me though. I believe that Clint is the only one that she truly trusts with anything. If she has been compromised, it's going to be painful."

"I wish I could say one disaster at a time, but we also have to ask why the hell Romanov would put a hit on Tony," Fury sighed.

"She is fond of Rogers, Sir, and not always overly fond of Tony," Coulson said. "It's possible that, with the magic at work in her mind, she's decided that her best option for getting Rogers out of trouble is to eliminate Tony. It's not going to happen, I'm not planning to let Tony out of the Tower until we're sure that the threat against him is contained, but we need to work it out as quickly as possible. Once Tony completes these fasteners and other materials, you know he's going to want to be out testing them in the field. I don't believe that he will be able to participate in the tests from inside of his suit."

Fury sighed again. "Tony Stark is the best with technology that we have, and that pains me in many regards," he said. "JARVIS, I know you said you would be working on this, but do you think that Tony would be able to help us out? He'll probably see something that no one else can."

"It would be good for Mr. Stark to be engaged while I have numbers running, Director Fury, Sir," JARVIS said. "Send over all the electronics you wish to have checked and, once I am sure they are of no threat to the Tower or Mr. Stark, I will send them along to the lab. If there is something there, we will find it for you."

"I wish all my problems had such easy solutions," Fury said. "You'll have them in half an hour."

"We'll be in touch, Sir," Coulson said just before Fury's image vanished. He leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "JARVIS, will you let Thor know I need to talk with him, please? It's time to figure a few things out before anyone else gets hurt."

"I quite agree, Sir," JARVIS said.


	41. Chapter 41

Barton grabbed some of the cold pizza they had left over from a couple of nights ago and headed down to the lab, using the elevators rather than the vent shafts because Bruce and Thor were the only ones in the Tower and neither of them was a threat. "Hey, Tony," he said as he walked into the lab, "JARVIS says you probably need to eat. Feel up to pizza?"

"Sure, yeah, in a second," Tony said, focused on the suit.

"What's up?"

"These weren't regular bullets. I started having trouble with the suit just before I landed on my private pad up top," Tony said. "I think that each of them was a small EMP and they were enough to screw with the suit."

"Well, we ID'd the shooter," Barton said. He put the pizza down on his usual table and hopped up to sit next to the boxes. "He was a SHIELD agent, Tony. One who had been working primarily with Natasha."

Tony looked up. "Clint."

"It's possible, Tony," Barton said softly. "You heard what all she said to me out in Malibu. That wasn't like her at all. I don't know what's going on and that scares me a little."

"You guys think that Natasha somehow got this baby SHIELD agent to come and try to kill me?" Tony hopped up to sit next to Barton. "Why?"

"She likes Rogers a lot," Barton said. "We don't know how much of Thor's magic she was exposed to at any given time, Coulson is probably talking with Thor right now about what all could have happened, but if she's been compromised then we're in a lot of trouble. Nat isn't on probation with SHIELD, she's a full agent, but I know that Nick and Phil have always kept an eye on her just to be safe. None of us know what sort of programming she had as a child, or if it could take over again. We joke about it, Nat and me, cognitive calibration. It's hitting someone really hard on the head, usually with a pipe or a gun. I've done it to her twice, she did it to me when I was under Loki's spell. It's not a joke though, Tony. I don't know what I'll do if she's compromised badly. She's my best friend."

"You guys will work it out," Tony said. He leaned against Barton and sighed. "I want to know more about these possible EMP bullets. Those aren't something I want around when I'm counting on the suit to keep me safe in battle. JARVIS, call Nick for me, please."

"Sir."

Barton wrapped an arm around Tony and squeezed. "Other than the shooting, how do you feel about what all happened this morning?"

"Better than I thought I would. Really. I was scared up there, you saw how badly I was shaking, but the reporters, they showed me respect and compassion and that made it easier for me to talk than it would have been if they were all shouting," Tony said. "I'm not as scared now to have Rogers go and talk to the press. With the attitude he's taking towards me, I think he'll hurt himself more than he'll hurt me right now."

"You're probably right about that, Tony," Fury said, appearing on one of the screens. "What did you need?"

"Nick, I was shot with three bullets at the press conference," Tony said, shifting and leaning forward. "All three impacted the suit in a cluster to the left of the arc reactor cover. On my flight home, I started to have system trouble and small failures like I'd been hit by an EMP. Tell me the truth because my safety is on the line right now, Nick. Is SHIELD in the process of developing EMP bullets and projectiles?"

Fury sighed. "R&D was playing around with the idea, but no one notified me that they had begun to make prototypes," he said. "I'll have the bullets from this morning sent over with everything else."

"Everything else?" Tony asked.

"Coulson and JARVIS both believe that you're the best one to go through the electronics our shooter this morning was carrying or in possession of," Fury replied. "I agree with them. You're a pain in the ass, Stark, but you know electronics. Wring every secret out of these for me."

"Easy enough," Tony said. "When will they be here?"

"I have them in the lobby, Sir," JARVIS said. "I am in the process of scanning them to ensure no danger to you or the Tower. I will notify you when the bullets arrive."

"I'm going down to the labs here," Fury said. "If I find any more of the damn things, I'll send them your way. I want to know what the hell my R&D people think they're doing developing equipment that can harm one of the Avengers. I'll be in touch."

Barton couldn't help the grin that flowed over his face when Fury was gone. "That hurt him, Tony," he said. "To admit that you're better than the SHIELD guys. Nick really takes a lot of pride in our scientists."

"Your scientists helped Loki take over the planet," Tony pointed out. He reached over and grabbed a slice of pizza. "They helped him hurt you and Agent. They're morons."

"You have such a way with words, Tony," Coulson commented dryly. "Is that lunch?"

"Figured it needed to be finished, and Thor doesn't seem to like pizza as much as he likes some other Earth foods," Barton shrugged. "What did Thor have to say, Phil?"

"Were you in the vents again, Barton?"

"Nope, it's just what I would have done," Barton grinned.

"He said it's possible that some of the magic leaked over and he doesn't know what it would have done to Natasha," Coulson said. "Thor is going to go and check on her while she's in the field. He claims he can do it without blowing her cover. I hope he can."

"Sir, what if she is compromised?" Barton asked softly.

Coulson went over and wrapped Barton in a tight hug while Tony held onto Barton's left hand. "Then Nick and I will take care of it, Clint," he said. "Neither of us would ever ask that of you. Ever."

"Thank you," Barton said.


	42. Chapter 42

Barton and Coulson retreated to the side once lunch was finished so Tony would have room to work. Barton worked with JARVIS on getting more locks made and Coulson was working on paperwork. The music that was normally blasting was missing, but Tony's constant muttering filtered through the lab. "They really assigned this to an agent? Really? I could make this ten time better, smaller and safer. Dummy, don't touch that, it's dangerous. JARVIS, run a scan on this tablet for me. I want to get a look at the inside and we're going to have to find a way to make a copy of it without risking the information inside. This thing, okay this is a piece of trash. Agent, I don't want to see anything like this phone near my Tower again. Tell me that this isn't the crap that SHIELD is giving its agents. How the hell do you get a signal on this thing?"

"Not everyone has JARVIS to handle all their calls, Tony," Coulson said mildly. He glanced up. "That's not SHIELD issue, it's a personal cell phone."

"This kid had really bad taste then. Seriously, this is like pay as you go level technology. It makes me feel dirty just touching it," Tony said. "Okay, this needs to be copied over and searched as well. Add that to the pile to be checked, Dummy. No, not the rag, the pile over there. Yes, thank you. That. Barton, get over here and help me wrangle Dummy. He likes you."

"Sir, Colonel Rhodes is here," JARVIS said, breaking into the constant chatter. "He is in the elevator."

Tony looked up. "I'm so not ready for this. Seriously, I'm not. Agent, help me out here," he said. "What do I do?"

"Take a deep breath and calm down," Barton said. He hopped up on the table behind Tony and started to massage his neck. "Relax. You know he's not going to hurt you and I'm right here. If you start getting too upset, we'll take care of it, Tony, but you need to relax. Keep working if it makes you feel better. He's used to that, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he is," Tony said. "I don't know if I can do this so soon after the press conference."

"Give it a try and if you can't, then we'll stop. There's the elevator door. You'll be fine, Tony. You're strong enough to do this."

Coulson was up and over by the lab door by the time Rhodey was visible. "Colonel Rhodes, it's so nice to see you again," he said. "Thank you for coming over. This new material that SHIELD has been testing for Tony has some extremely interesting military applications. What can we show you first?"

"We'll talk about the material in a minute," Rhodey said. "Tony, it's all over the media. What the hell happened to you?"

"Wrong tone," Barton warned, glancing over. "Tony's been through a lot and he doesn't need any more stress. Understand?"

"Stand down, Hawkeye," Coulson said.

"No, it's fine, Agent Coulson, he's right," Rhodey said. "I'm sorry, it's just, can you imagine what a shock it is to wake up and turn on the news and see that your best friend has been raped and is holding a press conference to talk about it?"

"I had to," Tony said. He picked up a screwdriver and started to take the cell phone apart. "I didn't want to, I would have rather kept it to myself, but it came down to a choice between hiding and putting myself right into my attacker's hands and I wasn't going to do that."

"It was one of the braver things I've seen," Rhodey said. "Or stupidest, but still brave. Who attacked you, Tony? You said it was one of your friends and there aren't many people you let that close to you."

Coulson looked over. "Your choice, Tony. Always your choice."

"Rhodey, you have to promise me you aren't going to go storming out of here to try and beat the guy up," Tony said. "It's being handled and I don't need you doing something stupid because you think it'll help me. Knowing you're not going to hurt someone else or get hurt is what I need."

"Sure, Tony, I promise," Rhodey said.

"JARVIS, lock the lab down," Barton said.

"Of course, Agent Barton," JARVIS said. "A new batch of locks has finished if you would remove them from the fabrication units. I am going to switch tasks to the new fixtures Mr. Stark has been working with."

Barton hopped down. "Cool," he said. "I'll install them later tonight. Thanks, JARVIS."

"Tony," Rhodey said.

"He saved me," Tony said. "Clint has been there ever single step of the way to help me out. Agent has too, but he has other responsibilities he has to take care of. They are more than friends, they're family."

"I can tell that JARVIS likes them. I've never heard him use that tone for anyone other than you," Rhodey said. He sat down across from Tony and leaned forward. "So who attacked you?"

"Steve Rogers," Tony said softly.

"No way, Captain America is the one who raped you?" Rhodey exclaimed.

Barton growled, startling everyone but Tony. "Tone."

"Yeah, I need a break," Tony said. "Clint, can you?"

"Sure, let's go," Barton said. He left the locks near his usual table and followed Tony out of the lab.

"Okay, I missed something," Rhodey said.

Coulson sighed and sat down in the chair Tony had been using. "Colonel Rhodes, right now Tony is recovering from his second rape and the only one that he is telling anyone about," he said. "He was attacked here, in his lab, by someone he considered a friend. He has been through so much since he woke up that I worry constantly that he is going to suffer from a nervous breakdown. The only person not directly related to the investigation who knows the identity of Tony's attacker is Pepper. Your response was one of shock, we all recognize that, but your tone indicated doubt and that, more than anything else, hurt Tony. He was already scared to tell you what happened, but having you respond as you did means that you are unlikely to see him again today. He knows on one level that you believe him and will help him, but that level is a deep one and is not currently being heard."

"Well, shit," Rhodey said.


	43. Chapter 43

Barton took Tony up to the penthouse and asked JARVIS to lock it down to everyone but Coulson. "What do you need, Tony?" he asked.

"Space, I need to be able to move," Tony said, starting to pace. There was a lot of space between the bar and the far wall and Barton settled on the floor about halfway between the two point so he would be able to hear Tony. "I was right that I totally shouldn't have been trying to do that. The press conference was bad enough, having to talk about what happened, but it was good too because it could help others. It shows that superheros are human too and that's good. It's bad because our enemies might try and hurt us differently, but it's good because it helps people know that they're not alone. I would have given almost anything to know that I wasn't alone after my kidnapping. I wasn't in a good place after that and no one seemed to want to stand still long enough to help me."

"You're being so strong through all of this, Tony," Barton said. "Anyone who says that Hulk is the strongest on the team is wrong. Yeah, he might be able to lift a tank with no problems, but you've got strength down to your soul. Tell me what I can do to help you? Should I go punch Rhodey in the nose?"

Tony hiccuped a snicker and kept walking. "No, I don't want him hurt," he said. "I just don't want to see him any time soon. Pepper yes, Pepper is good. She's understanding and soft with that band of iron she hides so well. That strength is good for me. But not Rhodey. Not until I'm more settled in my mind. I need him out of the lab, I've got research to do, Fury needs me to look through those electronics an the bullets are on their way. What else are we working on, JARVIS?"

"I have the fabrication units creating the first round of test fasteners for our new wall material," JARVIS said. "Clint and I have been alternating so lock production can continue. For the vents on your floors, Sir, I plan to increase the electricity running through the grates by ten percent."

"Then I'm going to put in a few other nasty surprises," Barton grinned. "My vents, my network. No one gets in there without my permission."

"I never thought I'd have a friend more at home in vents and high places than he is on the ground," Tony said. "You haven't made a nest in the vents, have you? Are we going to start losing shiny objects from around the Tower, Barton?"

"That's magpies, Tony," Barton said. "No, I haven't made a nest in the vents. Here, anyway. I have been known to sleep in the vents at SHIELD HQ. You'd be amazed at the gossip you can hear when you do something like that."

Tony smiled. "Is that how Agent always knows when you're there?" he asked. "I've seen him look up at the vents before it's possible to hear anything and you're always there."

"I'm just that good," Coulson said, stepping off the elevator. "Barton, the make sofas for a reason."

"This was the best place to be, Phil," Barton said. "Tell me you got rid of Rhodey before you came up here."

"He left not long after Tony did," Coulson said. "Tony, are you doing okay?"

"No, I feel like I'm about to fall into a million pieces if I stop moving," Tony said. He made the turn and came back towards the bar. "How am I supposed to get any work done if I can't hold still?"

"Walk it out," Coulson said. "I think I see your point, Clint." He sat down next to his lover. "You have the time to walk and try to get yourself back to where you feel comfortable, Tony. JARVIS is running scans for you and everything else can wait until later tonight. If you need to fall apart, we'll be here to put you back together again."

"Why now?" Tony asked. "Why didn't I feel like this when I first woke up or when I was down at the Hulk prison? Why is this only hitting now?"

"Because someone you trust expressed doubt in his tone when talking with you," Coulson said. "You've been shaken by his tone and choice of words. Tony, it's not uncommon to have the strangest reactions at the oddest times. It's possible that you'll even have trouble in the suit once or twice, but I know you're strong enough to pull through and come out the other side whole and better than you were before."

"How do I get made better by being raped?" Tony asked.

Barton stood up and caught Tony in a quick hug. "Because you survived it," he said. He let go so Tony could keep walking if he needed to. "You are stepping out and telling people that you were attacked and you're scared. Do you know how hard it is to admit that you're scared, Tony? You are an amazing person and every day you step out into the light and tell the world 'look at me, I'm a survivor and I will help others' is a day when you grow stronger and better than you were the day before."

"I never thought of it like that," Tony said. "JARVIS, call Pepper for me."

"Yes, Sir," JARVIS said. "Should I also place an order for dinner, Sir? You need to eat something more than cold pizza."

"My AI turned into a mother," Tony grumbled. "Sure, order something for dinner. Just make sure it's something I like."

"Sir, I would never order you anything you didn't like," JARVIS said. "Ms. Potts, Sir."

"Tony, are you okay?" Pepper asked.

"Pep, no, I'm not," Tony replied. "I'm trying to hold myself together and it's not easy. Pepper, how much do we have for forming new, not charities, but a foundation this time. I want to start a foundation to help people who are raped. We need counselors, we need doctors. We need buildings. Nation-wide, Pepper. I don't want anyone to have to suffer like I have."

Coulson looked up. "Why don't I work with Ms. Potts on the details, Tony, while you and Clint go back down to the lab and get back to what you were doing for Director Fury," he said.

"Okay, but I want details," Tony said. "JARVIS, feed me details while they're working. I want to know what's going on."

"You might as well stay put then," Barton commented dryly. He'd stretched out of the floor and was watching Tony upside down. "I think it's a good idea, personally. It's something that would help a lot of people out."

"It'll take more money than you're thinking, Tony," Pepper said. "Especially going nation-wide at the beginning. What about starting in five cities and expanding out every six months?"

"That's reasonable," Coulson said. "It's possible that there could be groups we could link with in the cities, let them know the money is coming from the new foundation and help them grow and help more people than they're able to reach now. Tony, this is going to take some research and I know that JARVIS is good at multi-tasking, but let's let a group of your people work on this while you and JARVIS focus on the new materials. The money from the sales of those could go to the foundation."

"That's a wonderful idea, Phil," Pepper said. "Especially given how the material was created."

"Yeah, okay, we'll do that," Tony said. "I've got fasteners to test. The sooner we get this material on the market, the sooner we can start helping others. Clint, can we go back down to the lab?"

Barton rolled to his feet and grinned. "Ready when you are, Tony," he said. "Later, Pepper."

"He's gone," Coulson said once Tony and Barton had vanished into the elevator to the lab level.

"You want to tell me what brought that on?" Pepper asked. "I haven't heard that level of mania in his voice in years."

"He told Rhodey about the rape and Rhodey's reaction wasn't positive," Coulson said. "I think it hurt Tony more than he wants to admit right now."

Pepper sighed. "Those two," she said. "I'm guessing that Rhodey isn't going to be around any time soon?"

"I don't think so," Coulson said. "Expressing doubt, even by accident, about the rape wasn't the reaction he needed to show when talking with Tony. Having it happen so soon after the press conference and attack there was probably too much for Tony's system to handle. I'll make sure he eats and is at least in bed tonight. I don't know if he's going to sleep."

"Thanks, Phil," Pepper said. "At least I know he's getting good care while he's got you and Clint there."

Coulson smiled. "We're not leaving him alone any time soon, Pepper. I promise."


	44. Chapter 44

Barton ducked as a fastener went flying over his head. "Tony, I'm all for testing, but don't you think it'd be better to be doing this out in a field somewhere?" he asked, poking his head up over the table. "This is testing even my reflexes."

"The stress test is a good test," Tony said, looking up from the tablet he was working with. "If the material can't withstand a certain level of force applied to it directly the it's not going to stand up in the field. I should test them with the repulsors too. That's a good idea, make a note of that, JARVIS. This tablet has some secrets on it that it probably shouldn't Clint. I'm seeing hack codes into the SHIELD databases and information that's really not good for a low-level agent to have access to. I mean seriously, he's got details of the Battle of Manhattan that I didn't even know and I was involved in that battle."

"Hack codes?" Barton asked. "Tony, I'm not coming over there until you tell Dummy to put down that last fastener."

Dummy ducked his head and dropped the piece of metal onto the table with a whir. Barton grinned and went to pat him behind the primary joint. "Thanks, Dummy," he said. "Nothing against you, you know you're my favorite, but I don't like small things flying around my head when I'm trying to work."

"I think he likes you better than he likes me," Tony said. He slid his hands over the table he was working at and holographic files popped up. "Tell me that I'm not seeing what I think I'm seeing here, Clint."

"He has by psych reports," Barton said. "No one but Nick gets to read those, not even Phil. It's a good thing this kid's already dead, Tony. I'd kill him just for that. Those reports are private for a reason."

"Yeah, you're nuts and everyone knows it," Tony said with a grin. "How would he have all of this. Why would he have all of this? JARVIS, call Nick again. This is serious. I think it's time that Fury lets me take care of designing a secured network for SHIELD, no matter how much he wants to keep me out of the systems. Nick, I'm streaming you information that this dead junior agent had. You tell me seriously that you still think your computer systems are secure."

Coulson walked into the lab just in time to hear Fury start swearing. He sighed. "You know, Nick, there are so few people who can get you to that level of anger these days. What's happened now?"

"Tony's found information on our junior agent's table that shouldn't have been there," Barton said. "Look at it all, Phil."

"Well, this is a nasty surprise," Coulson said. "I think, Nick, that we need to upgrade our protocols again. Tony, has this information been accessed either on this device or remotely since it was uploaded?"

"No, that's not to say it wasn't copied to a second device, but the stuff on here hasn't been opened until today," Tony said. "Nick, I'm telling you, you need to let me into the system. I can do a full upgrade, integrate JARVIS as a watcher for you, and no one will be able to hack you again." He held up his hand. "I know the arguments, but JARVIS won't tell me secrets if I program him not to, and I can do that. Seriously, this is my ass on the line too, now. It's not just about secrets anymore. This is about safety for people, and we need to know people are safe."

Fury sighed. "You can program JARVIS to watch only and not download anything off our our system?" he asked.

"I could write a program for a new AI, one strictly for SHIELD, that has no connection to JARVIS or my systems at all," Tony replied. "It would take me about a month to do, but I could do it. Your own watchdog in the system, Fury. I should do two, actually, with one extra layer of security around Avengers information."

"It's a good idea, Sir," Coulson said. "You know that Tony is the smartest one when it comes to AI systems. JARVIS is proof of that one."

"Thank you, Sir," JARVIS said. "It would be a delight to have younger siblings to talk with."

"You have Dummy to talk to," Tony said. "And me and Clint, and Agent too."

"With all due respect, Sir, it isn't the same," JARVIS said. "The bullets have arrived at the Tower, Sir, and I am sending them up along with your supper. All of you need to eat."

"How would this new AI work, Tony?" Fury asked.

"Well, I'd have to build the mainframe and matrix at a standard point, probably the Helicarrier unless you have another base you prefer to have the hardware in," Tony said. "Then, once I had the AI program written and uploaded, we'd have to spend some time teaching it, but my programs are usually learning systems, so the more it's interacted with, the more human it's going to seem. More like JARVIS is now. Given that I would basing it off of JARVIS and his programming, it wouldn't take me that long to get it running."

"Where are you with the fasteners for your new walls?" Fury asked.

"Not nearly as far along as I would like to be, but JARVIS can work on those while I'm on the Helicarrier," Tony replied. "He has all the various combinations I want to try and runs the fabrication units for me anyway."

Coulson looked over from the files he'd been scanning. "Nick, given what I'm seeing here, we have to do something," he said. "We also need to make sure that our information is secure while Tony is building the AI for us. None of this information can get out."

"All right, I swore I'd never do it, but bring him up," Fury said. "Tony, you have full access to the computers, but you are not to go snooping around."

"I won't," Tony said. "No, seriously, I won't. There's information on here about me and my family. People are trying to hurt us and I'm not going to stand for that."


	45. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a point brought up by vwebb in a review that I'm going to expand on a little. I hadn't thought of it when I was writing this, but after thinking on it and talking with her in the comments a little, I think I want to expand on it a little more. Steve's background that's going to start coming up is all down to her. Thanks for the comment, I really appreciate it.

"Are you coming up, Phil?" Barton asked, looking back at his lover.

"Go on up, Bruce wanted to talk with me about something on the common floor," Coulson replied with a smile. "I won't make you guys wait long, but go ahead and shower and get ready for bed. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"I promise not to be in a corner cackling, not until Fury walks into the room anyway," Tony said with a mad grin. "I've already come up with a name for one of the AIs SHIELD is getting, I just have to think of the other one."

Barton looked over at Tony. "I don't think I want to know about this, do I?" he asked.

"No no, it's really good," Tony said as the pair walked into the elevator. "I know everyone will eventually see the humor and irony behind the name, once they get used to it."

It was probably just as well that the door shut before Coulson heard what else Tony was going to say. With a small sigh, knowing that no matter how much Tony wanted to help others, to help keep people safe, his impish nature would come through in the project and Fury probably wouldn't see the humor in it, he went over to the other elevator and started through the protocols that would get him inside and up to the common floor. He wasn't sure exactly what Bruce could want to talk with him about, but he didn't want to put the scientist off. "Bruce?"

"Hey, Phil, thanks for coming up," Banner said with a smile. "How's Tony doing today?"

"Worse today, but I think he's got enough projects running that it'll keep his mind skittering in a dozen directions and help him get through this," Coulson said. "Rhodey was here today and made things worse, not on purpose, but he did and that's being hard for Tony to accept. I think this hit him as hard as the rape did, even if he's not admitting to it."

They sat down at the kitchen table, more out of habit than anything else, for their conversation. "I wish there was something I could do to help, but Tony's got himself shut off worse than I've ever seen him and I don't want to start pushing at those walls," Bruce said. "I'll talk with him in a day or so, maybe see if he wants some help testing out those new fasteners he's been talking about."

"There's been a shift in projects and he'll be up on the Helicarrier for a while," Coulson said. "Tony's going to be writing and developing some programs for Director Fury, but I'll bring him down here tomorrow morning before we leave if you want to talk with him."

Bruce smiled. "I'd like that. I miss having him in my lab, remarkably enough," he said. "Tony's such a force of nature and it's so easy to get caught up in whatever he's working on. That flair for life is something I miss, and I know it'll take him time to get back to where he was, but I want him to know I'm here if he needs me."

"He knows, but hearing it would help," Coulson smiled. "What else is on your mind, Bruce? You sounded so serious when you called me, I was worried something had happened on one of the non-secure floors and I just hadn't heard about it yet."

"No, nothing like that," Bruce said. "It's just that I've been doing some research into Steve's past and I'm finding inconsistencies that I don't like. I think some of these files were edited heavily when Steve became Captain America over in Europe."

Coulson cocked his head. "I never really thought about it like that," he said. "Rogers had the name and uniform here in the states, but it wasn't until he went into battle in Europe that he truly was seen as Captain America. Before that, he was just the dancing man raising the money for the war. I suppose it's possible his files were edited, but I've never had any reason to check them, honestly."

"This attack on Tony got me thinking," Bruce said. "Rape doesn't happen out of the blue. There's always some sort of premeditation involved, even if it's just the mentality that the person is not going to stop no matter what. I've had a couple of friends who were raped when they said stop and their partner didn't listen to them. Because it was married couples, the reports weren't taken seriously, but as soon as the word no shows up, that's when everything stops. So I got to wondering if, maybe, Steve had done something like this back in the thirties or forties and it was either covered up or never reported."

"Scrawny little sick kid before the procedure, big tough guy after with muscle to spare, I could see some revenge tactics coming into play here," Coulson said. "Given the era and the mentality back then, his victims wouldn't have reported it at all. There wouldn't have been whispers of anything, even after Rogers was up on the stage or over in Europe."

"Which is what I thought, but if you look through the papers surrounding him, there are some injuries to men around him that don't make sense," Bruce said. "I didn't bring the files up with me, I don't want Tony to see them and have a flashback or another anxiety attack, but I wanted you to know about it."

Coulson sighed. "I guess I'll have to talk with Fury about this tomorrow and see what he wants to do about it," he said. "I don't know how safe it is to have me talking with Rogers, even through the cell. I still want to chop him into pieces for what he did to Tony."

"It's not safe for me either. The Hulk really likes Tony," Bruce admitted. "I think I scared Steve yesterday. Is there anyone you trust enough to try and get answers on this?"

"There's one, but I don't want him involved unless we absolutely have to," Coulson sighed. "Thanks for bringing this to my attention, Bruce. I'll talk with the director tomorrow when we're up on the Helicarrier and see what he wants to do next. We also need Thor to get back and let us know about Natasha. So many little details trying to slip away from us."

"With you in charge, they wouldn't dare," Bruce said with a smile.

"I'm having to stretch pretty thin though, Bruce," Coulson admitted. "I'll talk with Tony and Clint too, see how they feel about one more person getting involved. I hate to admit it, and I'll deny it if anyone asks, but I'm getting tired. I know it's the stress, but I need a few weeks to sleep."

Bruce reached over and took Coulson's hand. "I'm right here if you need me for anything, Phil," he said. "You just have to let me know."

"Thanks, Bruce, I will. See you in the morning."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks, everyone, for your patience in waiting for updates on my stories. I've been finishing up a novel that will be available on amazon soon. If you've read my Dragon Chronicles, you saw that I have a dragon novel as well. The first one is available on amazon, and the one I just finished writing (and am editing) is the sequel to it.
> 
>  
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Lexxie-Scott/e/B00BHME9QQ
> 
> That's the link to my author page. All books are available in both paperback and e-book format.


	46. Chapter 46

Tony groaned and tried to hide under the pillows when JARVIS started talking the next morning. "I don't want to," he murmured.

"Come on, Tony, up," Barton said with a grin. "We're going to start programs up on the Helicarrier, remember? I'm going out on a second test flight while you and Phil start working on the new AI for SHIELD."

"No one can function at this time of day," Tony protested. "It's too early, the sun isn't even up yet. If I wanted to see dawn, I would have stayed up all night."

Coulson picked up the pillow and looked at Tony. "We can stay in if you want to, but JARVIS has the windows tinted, Tony," he said. "It's after eleven in the morning."

"See, ungodly," Tony said. "No, I need to get these projects done, no matter how much I want to stay here and not do anything but run numbers and work with JARVIS. We need to get the groundwork in place for ANNIE to start working."

"Do we want to know what that stands for?" Coulson asked.

"A Nosy Nightmare in Engineering," Tony replied.

Barton started laughing. "How do you come up with these names, Tony?" he asked. "I mean, seriously, how did you even come up with that. Don't ever tell Nick what it stands for, he'll try to shoot you."

"They just come to me," Tony said, lips twitching.

"The Director is going to work it out eventually," Coulson said. "I hope I'm in the field when he does. All right, Tony, what all do you need to take up to the Helicarrier with you today to start working on ANNIE?"

"I'll have to get some things from the lab," Tony said. "It won't take me that long, like half an hour max unless I get distracted by something else that needs to be taken care of. Clint, are you coming along?"

"Try to keep me away," Barton said. 

Coulson watched the pair go with a fond smile. "So, a younger sister for you, JARVIS. Excited?"

"I am, Sir," JARVIS replied. "Sir, if I might ask, who are you thinking about asking to help you with events in the Tower?"

"Sitwell," Coulson said. "Jasper and I work well together, he can keep his mouth shut when he needs to, and he can take over some of the less sensitive projects that are going on here, like the walls and fasteners. I'm not going to turn any part of the Rogers mess over, but if I can focus on it and not worry about the side projects that Tony is working on, the I think I might sleep a little better at night."

"Longer, at any rate," JARVIS said. "I have noticed that, on average, you sleep three hours less than Clint does."

"He burns more energy than I do," Coulson said. "Would you let Bruce know we're up and moving around. I know he wants to talk with Tony before we leave."

"I will, Sir. Should I also notify Mr. Stark of the desire and ask him if he feels comfortable meeting in the common area or if he would prefer to do so in his labs?"

"Sounds good, JARVIS, thanks," Coulson said. "Also let Barton know I'm getting paperwork together and I'll meet them when they're ready to go."

"Of course, Sir."  
****

"So, what all are we doing today, Tony?" Barton asked, following the other man into the lab. "Hey, Dummy."

"Today is basic set-up and system prep," Tony said, heading towards the storage racks at the back of the lab. "A program like JARVIS takes up a lot of memory, but I'm not going to make ANNIE as all-inclusive as he is. For example, she's not going to need to be making phone calls to local restaurants for supper or monitoring weather and stocks for Fury. Unless there's something about him I really don't want to know about. ANNIE is going to be the watchdog for SHIELD, monitoring all access to the computer network and flagging any attempts at hacking. I haven't come up with a name for the other one, but that one will specifically watch all of the information about the Avengers and work directly with ANNIE to protect the files."

"Definitely not a quick project," Barton said.

"No, it's not, but given that I have the specs for JARVIS on my tablet, I can adjust them and code as I go so it won't take nearly as long to have her up and running as it did for JARVIS to come online," Tony said. He handed Barton a plastic carton of equipment and started looking for something else. "I am going to link the pair so they can talk, JARVIS will be a good adviser while ANNIE is learning."

"Sir, Agent Coulson wishes me to ask if you feel up to meeting with Dr. Banner this morning before you leave for the Helicarrier," JARVIS interjected. "Also, should you feel up to it, would you prefer the common floor or lab for said meeting?"

Barton smiled. "I can't imagine a program getting as good as JARVIS though, Tony."

"Give her time and she'll learn," Tony said. "Common floor is fine, J. I'm going to have to face it some time and it'll make getting these things to the jet easier."

"Yes, Sir. Also, Agent Barton, Agent Coulson is collecting paperwork and will meet you on the common level."

"Sounds good, thanks, JARVIS," Barton said. "Tony, I have to ask, are you bringing the kitchen sink with us here? This is more gear than I thought you'd need."

Tony laughed. "Writing an AI program isn't like developing a little robot, Clint," he said. "I usually don't worry about it because I'm working in my lab and Dummy can get me what I want. It might take him a few tries, but he gets there in the end. For this though, I'm going to be in a strange lab and won't know what all they have for me to work with. I'd rather have extra things than not have what I need while I'm in the middle of coding."

"We're going to need a cart then," Barton said. "Because this is like ten trips to the jet right now."

"It's good for you," Tony said. "I do have a cart somewhere though. We can totally use it to get these things up to the jet. I should have asked Fury if I could have minions while I was working on this project."

"He'll probably let you, but do you feel safe having people around you like that, Tony?" Barton asked. "I'm going to be off in the jet for a couple of hours while you're working. Phil will be with you the whole time, but we're going to have to switch off because he's going to have a meeting with Fury."

"You're not going to be leaving me totally alone though, right?"

"Never," Barton said. "Not until you tell us you think you can try it."

"Then I'll be okay. I don't want people hanging around while I'm working, but we'll need help carrying things," Tony said. "There's the cart there, under that tarp. I don't think Fury knows exactly what he's getting into with this."

Barton grinned and pulled the cart over to start loading it. "I think he does, Tony," he said. "I just think he's trying not to think about it."


	47. Chapter 47

Tony looked around the empty room and nodded. "This will work," he said. "I'm going to need computers, Nick, just basic servers. Five banks because we're going to be running a lot of information over these things. I'll also need someone to hold things for me, and I know Hawkeye is going out on the jet for a bit. Do you have a minion who could hold things for me?"

"I can do it," Bruce said from the doorway. "I'm good at holding things."

"That works," Tony said with a smile. "I didn't know you were coming up today, Bruce. What's up?"

"You left before we could talk, so I got a ride up," Bruce said. "What can I do to help?"

"We'll need to sort through everything I brought and I'll need to get ready for the coding," Tony said. "Nick, I think the easiest thing to do is upload JARVIS first, put the special protocols in place for him up here and then I'll start writing the code for ANNIE. I'm not going to leave JARVIS here, and he'll be interacting with ANNIE only until she gets up to speed on everything she needs to be doing for you. I'll get her up to speed and then I'll code in JUNIOR."

Barton tried not to laugh. Tony had come up with the name on the ride up to the Helicarrier and told him what it stood for. He wasn't too sure how Fury would feel about an AI named Just Under Nick's Instructions Orders Restricted for watching the files on the Avengers. No one was going to find out what the names meant from him. "Tony, if you're okay with Bruce and Phil, I'm going to head up and fly a plane. I'll bring lunch back with me."

"Yeah, I'm good, Clint, thank you," Tony said. "Have fun with the plane."

"I will. Sir, Phil, see you guys later," he said. "Bruce, have fun."

"I really wouldn't mind seeing this plane he's so excited about," Bruce commented, looking up from the cables he was untangling.

"When we declassify it, you can take a look," Fury said. "Coulson, could I speak with you in the hall for a minute."

Coulson looked over. "Tony, are you okay to have me just out in the hall?" he asked.

"Stay where I can see you?"

"Sure."

Tony nodded and went back to sorting through the tools he'd brought with him. He knew he'd have to start getting used to being without the two men, and having Bruce with him did help a lot. He just wasn't sure when he would be up to being alone in public again. He took a deep breath and tried not to look towards the door too much.

"You okay?" Bruce asked.

"Trying to be," Tony admitted. "This isn't the first time I've been without both of them right next to me, but it is the first time when I'm not locked down in the Tower. It's hard to feel safe again."

"Tony, what happened to you is horrible and I'm in awe of how good you're doing," Bruce said softly. "I was hoping there might be a way we could secure my lab floor enough that you would feel safe coming to visit. I miss having you there when I'm trying to work."

"We can try," Tony said. "I think, I hope I'll do better once I know that Rogers is out of the Tower and secure under enough locks that he won't be getting out. I know that Phil and Clint need to go back into full rotation for SHIELD and that Fury is letting them stay out of it to help me. I just don't have answers for when I'll feel more secure."

"And they all know that," Bruce said. "None of us are asking for miracles here, Tony. We had one when you woke up again after the attack. I'd say we had a second one when you stepped out and told the world what happened to you. You need to focus on you and I know you're not because you're working on at least five different projects right now."

Tony glanced up. "If I stop and sit still, I go crazy, I always have," he said. "This is the best way for me to be doing anything. Trust me, Agent and Clint don't let me get away with not talking about what happened. It's just usually at night when I can't sleep. Then we have storytime and I manage a few hours. They're taking better care of me than I've managed in years."

"You'll let me know if there's anything I can do to help, right?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah, I will," Tony said. "I didn't forget about you, it's just that the projects I've been working on haven't been anything that you'd find interesting or feel really comfortable working on. Your numbers for the field test though, those helped a lot."

"Even the Hulk throwing the wall like he did?"

"Especially that because it rated the material perfectly. I don't know why everyone thinks that was bad. That was brilliant."

Bruce grinned. "Those were fun tests," he said. "Did you get the numbers you were hoping for?"

"Better than I'd hoped, honestly. If I can just get these fasteners to work for me, we've got gold ready to go," Tony said. He looked up. "Servers, perfect. Start lining them up against the far wall, leave enough space for me to get between them and that wall and fasten them down. I've seen how Fury drives this thing and the last thing I want is my computers falling over like dominoes."


	48. Chapter 48

Fury and Coulson stopped not far down the hall where there was a clear view back to where Tony was working. "Sir, Dr. Banner brought up a good point and it's something that we probably should have looked into before this," Coulson said.

"Is it something that'll help us get answers to the problems we're having?" Fury asked.

"It might lead us in the right direction, Sir, yes. He pointed out that it's rare for rape to happen one time and wondered if it was possible files could have been altered, or attacks not reported before," Coulson replied. "Think about the circumstances we know about, both then and now, and what do you get?"

"Someone out for revenge in many different ways," Fury said. "You planning to look into this, Coulson?"

"Yes, Sir, but I was wondering if I could have Sitwell to take over the new material field test coordination," Coulson said. "I'm to the point where I do need help and he's the best man I can think of for the job. I won't have him take on anything beyond his abilities, but we work well together."

"Take him," Fury said. "Let me know if you need anyone else. There are days I forget how much you do for me, Phil. I'd tell you to delegate it out, but I know you and you spend too much time redoing paperwork when others do it."

"I'm faster on these forms and will get them right the first time around, Sir," Coulson said with a nod. "Having Jasper to help with research and coordination with both the military and our own science teams will help a lot. It'll also let me focus more on Tony and getting things resolved there."

"That's what I wanted to talk with you about, in a way; Thor's back."

Coulson swallowed hard. "What were his findings, Sir?"

"Magical traces throughout," Fury said. "He doesn't know how it happened, doesn't know if he'll be able to undo it or not, but he'll try."

"This is what Barton was trying to warn us about, Sir. Magic is unpredictable and shouldn't be played around with," Coulson said. "It didn't solve our problems and just caused more for us."

"Save the lecture, Agent Coulson, I know," Fury said. "I know he's got the fasteners being made, even while he's up here, so remind Stark that I need that prison built as soon as we possibly can. I want things taken care of now."

"Yes, Sir," Coulson said. "Now, what about the test flights? How many more of those do you need Barton for?"

"You have other plans for him, Phil?"

Coulson grinned. "No, Sir, but Tony's more relaxed and works better when Barton is the one in the room with him," he said. "I think it's something we should take into consideration."

"Consider it taken," Fury said. "Romanov is back in two weeks' time. Thor will look at her then and see what can be done. I'd like to have our attacker moved to a cell at an undisclosed location before that if at all possible."

"I'm sure that Tony and Bruce will be able to squeeze that into their schedules, Sir," Coulson said. "Or at least provide the proper specs and materials for SHIELD agents to put it together. Tony's seriously about getting ANNIE and JUNIOR up on line as soon as possible, and I don't blame him a bit. I'll be honest, Sir, it shook me up to see Barton's psych reports on a tablet like that."

"I still want to know how a junior agent got hack codes and information like that," Fury said. "I have a couple of people working on it for me, but don't let Tony know about that. I want him focused on what he's doing right now."

"Sir."

"I'm due on deck to review some new weapons on the jet," Fury said. "I'll try to get our boy out of the air after a few hours."

"Barton does love flying, Sir."

"That he does, Phil," Fury said with a fond smile. "That he does."


	49. Chapter 49

It wasn't easy for Coulson to get into the files surrounding Captain America. They were more secure than many they had at SHIELD and, if he wasn't in the position he was, then he wouldn't have been able to see them at all. Coulson wasn't sure who scanned the paper files into the system, but knew that it would have been someone from Fury's office and someone who wouldn't talk about what they had been doing. 

"Hey Coulson?"

"Yeah?"

Sitwell sat down next to him in the chairs that were against the wall in the room Tony was turning into SHIELDS AI's server room. "I'm a little confused about what I'm seeing for these numbers for the new material," he said. "Standard fasteners weren't good enough?"

"They failed in two of the tests, which leads to an unacceptable margin for error in a war zone," Coulson replied. "Tony's working on creating fasteners that will work and stand up to everything that's thrown at them, but it'll take time, trial and error to find it."

"But Stark's been up here every day for the past week," Sitwell said. "I don't understand how he's able to work on this project and be creating things at the same time."

"I'm a genius," Tony said. "Agent, I need the screwdriver that rolled under your chair."

Coulson reached back with his foot and sent it rolling towards Tony. "How's ANNIE coming, Tony?" he asked.

"Say hello to Agent Coulson, ANNIE," Tony said with a grin.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Agent Coulson."

"She's got an American accent?" Coulson asked.

"I thought about maybe using French, but that can be hard to understand over the speakers," Tony replied. "JARVIS is already showing her the dos and don'ts for being a watchdog. I've still got about another week of coding on her, but the basic program is in and running."

"You're a marvel, Tony," Coulson said. "Jasper, it all comes down to JARVIS and the fabrication units in the lab. Tony programmed in specs for fasteners before we left, JARVIS will run the machines while we're up here, and Tony will check them when we get back to the Tower. I really just need you to get up to speed on what we're doing so you can be in charge next time we have a field test. I've got another project going on for Director Fury, and it's taking up more of my time than I thought it would."

Sitwell nodded. "I never thought I'd see the day you admitted you couldn't do something, Phil," he said. "You're not feeling sick or dying on us, are you?"

"Barton, get down from there," Coulson said, not looking away from Sitwell. "I'm fine, Jasper, it's just that I'm helping Tony recover from his assault as well and was feeling overloaded. The director agreed with me and said that you would be a good fit for this part of the project."

"Thanks, I think," Sitwell said. "Where is Barton anyway? I don't see him."

He jumped and almost fell over when Barton landed right in front of him. "Hey there, Sitwell, long time no see," Barton grinned. "Welcome to the madhouse. Tony, break time. I brought you lunch."

"In a minute, I've got two lines of code to finish up," Tony replied.

"Okay, but I'm holding you to that," Barton said. "Coulson, Sitwell, you guys want pizza? It's from Tony's favorite restaurant."

"Gimmie," Tony said, reaching back with one hand, still typing code with the other.

Barton laughed. "Nope, you have to come get it," he said. "How's it going over there anyway?"

"Good, I'm making progress," Tony said. He hit enter and put down the keyboard. "Which is more than can be said for my fasteners. I think there's something I'm missing there, and it has to be something pretty damn obvious because I've checked all the small things."

"You'll find it." Barton pushed the pizza box closer to Tony. "Maybe Bruce can take a look over everything. Fresh eyes and all that crap."

"Yeah, that's an idea. I'll ask him when we get home," Tony said.


	50. Chapter 50

"So, I think with ANNIE and JARVIS working to keep our files safe, it's time for us to play catch-up with each other," Coulson said. He was in his favorite chair in Tony's living room. The other two were stretched out on the sofa, feet mock fighting in the middle. Tony was winning. "You two are going to break something if you keep that up, you know."

"It's fun," Barton grinned. "I'm done with my portion of the test flights for Fury, at least for now. He wants the men who will be piloting the jet to take over now that most of the bugs are worked out. So that means I'm back to guard and Avenger duty barring an international incident where I have to go shoot someone."

Tony looked over. "Fury's not sending both of you out again, is he?" 

"No, not yet," Coulson said. "He did ask if he could have one or the other if there isn't another agent capable of taking the assignment, but we're not leaving you alone, Tony. Not until you come to us and say you feel safe enough to have us do that again."

"Okay, I just, I didn't know what Fury was planning there," Tony said. "I've been doing okay up on the Helicarrier because you guys and Bruce are there. I don't know how I feel about Sitwell. I don't want to be left alone with him."

"That's fine, Tony, and we understand," Coulson said. "I promise we're not leaving you alone any time soon. Fury has me working on something special for him anyway, so it's doubtful that I'll be on field posting any time soon. How long do you think it will take you to code JUNIOR?"

Tony shrugged and pinned one of Barton's feet to the sofa with a grin. "Week to week and a half," he said. "I want to give ANNIE a chance to learn as much as she can before I throw another AI into the mix. It'll get too confusing to have two of them learning at the same time."

"So you would be able to take a break to help build the cell for Rogers?" Coulson asked.

"Yeah, I think, as long as he's not there, and I don't have to see him," Tony replied. "Where are we building it?"

"Lower level of the Helicarrier, roughly where we had the original Hulk prison built," Coulson said. "I know the fasteners are still giving you trouble, but if we can replicate the one we have here, Rogers will be secure. The lock will code to Fury only."

Barton glanced back, face upside down over the arm of the sofa. "How the hell are we explaining all of this away, Phil?" he asked.

"Right now, we're not," Coulson sighed. "That's the other bit of bad news I have. Thor reported in the first day we were on the Helicarrier. I've been waiting until we were a little more together before talking with you guys about this."

Tony let Barton go so the other man could sit up. Barton curled up in a ball on a single cushion and looked over at Coulson. "She's got magic in her, doesn't she, Phil?" he asked softly. "Nat's compromised."

"She is," Coulson said. "Thor is going to look at her when she comes home, Clint. There's hope that he can fix this and she'll be back to herself again."

"What if he can't, Sir?" Barton asked. "What's Fury's second option?"

"We'll secure her in a cell and question her," Coulson replied. "She'll be off the Avengers until further notice and no one will be able to see her."

"I hate to think of her back in a cell," Barton said. "Does Thor really think that he can help her?"

Coulson moved over to the sofa and hugged his lover tightly. "He doesn't know, Clint. He hopes that he can, but until he gets a closer look at what all has been happening with her, he doesn't know for sure," he said. "I'm going to suggest hitting her hard in the head if Thor can't do anything to help her."

Tony would have laughed if Barton didn't look so scared. He shifted over and joined the hug. "I could blast her through a wall or two," he said. "I don't want to hurt her, but if it would help, I probably have the most control out of all of us. I don't think it'd be a good idea to let Bruce do it."

"No, that would probably terrify her," Barton said. "She was pretty shaky after the battle because she watched him turn and then he attacked her. I'll do it. I owe her one and I know where to hit. Just make sure she's not armed, Sir."

"Are you sure, Clint?" Coulson asked.

"She saved me from magic, Phil," Barton replied. "I owe it to her to do the same if I can."


	51. Chapter 51

"Sir, I believe that we have finally hit upon the correct combination of materials for the fasteners," JARVIS said the next morning when the trio was eating breakfast with Bruce on the common level. Tony was doing better about being out of his safe zones as long as the rest of his team was there.

"Show me," Tony said, pulling his tablet over to him. "I like those numbers, JARVIS, those are sexy. All right, let's get in touch with the R&D guys, make some more walls and blast the crap out of them."

"What about the in-lab stress tests?" Barton asked, reading over Tony's shoulder.

Tony grinned. "Dummy and Butterfingers have been playing with them for me and the new fasteners are holding up under a lot of pressure and stress," he said. "That's not to stay they'll survive out in the field, but this is the best number set I've seen yet."

"I'll let Sitwell know," Coulson said. "He can coordinate everything. When will you have enough materials made for the tests, Tony?"

"If I stop production on the locks for two days, then I can have them ready by mid-week," Tony said. "Does that work for everyone? I know that Fury really wants to see what these new walls can do, and I want to see them stand up to everything we throw at them. Time to start keeping people safe."

"Sounds good to me," Barton said. "Phil, where's this top secret base Fury wants us to meet him at? I thought we were building the new prison up on the Helicarrier."

"That was the plan, but Director Fury is concerned about soldiers coming into contact with Rogers," Fury said. "So we're going to secure him in a place where only top-ranking agents go. Normally none of you would have the clearance to go there, but because you're working on a project for the Director, he's giving you the clearance for this project."

"So, totally secret, no telling anywhere where we went," Tony said. "Wait, he doesn't want us to be blindfolded or anything going in, does he?"

"No, breathe Tony, you're okay," Coulson said. "Director Fury trusts you to keep quiet about this because it's for your safety. Rogers will have a secure apartment rather than a cell, and he'll only be let out for calls to battle. Otherwise he'll be secure."

Barton looked over. "That reminds me, Phil, what's this top secret project you're working on for Nick?" he asked. "You've been quieter than usual."

"When I'm done with it, you'll find out," Coulson said. "Tony, we're going to have the specs for the area we're securing sent down today, unless you need to go up and work with ANNIE for a few hours, so we can get started on getting Rogers out of the Tower."

"ANNIE is working with Fury today," Tony said. "And Hill, I think, but they're getting to know each other and working out the basic parameters that she's going to be running on. JARVIS is over-seeing it for me, even though Fury doesn't like him in the system, so I'm good to work here. Let's get going on this and get the project done."  
****

Coulson sat in the corner while Tony and Barton worked out in the lab and continued reviewing the folders he'd accessed on Steve Rogers. It was harder to find reports once he was overseas, because that was when the military really did have more to lose, but the ones in the states were remarkable reading. Coulson could see where they were changed, and it was starting to look like Bruce was right. There wasn't much point in putting off the interview much longer. "I need to step out for an hour, you two," he said. "Promise me that you won't blow up the lab while I'm gone."

"I'll keep an eye on them," Bruce said.

Coulson hadn't even noticed him over in the corner working on something. "Thanks, Bruce," he said. "We'll have lunch when I'm back."

He made his way to the common level and then down to the lower levels of the Tower where the Hulk cell was situated. "JARVIS, I want you to record this and send the feed up to Director Fury," he said. "I have a feeling that Rogers isn't going to talk to me, but I need to try."

"Yes, Sir," JARVIS said. "Should I alert anyone to what you are attempting?"

"Increase the flow of electricity around the cell by fifty percent," Coulson said. "More if it looks like he's even going to attempt to break through it."

"As you will, Sir," JARVIS said. He took it upon himself to notify Barton as to what the other agent was doing. JARVIS didn't worry, as such, but he felt more comfortable with Coulson having back-up for the interview. The Hulk cell was unbreakable, but when considering super soldiers, that didn't necessarily mean anything.


	52. Chapter 52

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I should disclaimer this bit. I've watched the Captain America movie but don't recall everything that Rogers had wrong with him pre-procedure. I do believe in what Coulson is saying to him though. I was born with fibromyalgia and several of the other problems that come with it and have had to look for alternatives every day of my life. It is possible, it just takes a hell of a lot of work. As a side note, I'm off my chemical pain killers for the first time in years. Alternatives :)

"Agent Coulson, what bring you down here?"

"Rogers," Coulson said. He pulled a chair over and sat down a fair distance back from the clear wall. "It was brought to my attention that rapist don't just turn to rape suddenly and without either provocation or warning, so your sudden attack against Tony in the lab didn't make any logical sense once I considered it in that light. The military kept files on you from the moment you started trying to enlist up until you went into the ice. Now, I'll admit that it was harder to find files on you from Europe, but there were plenty here that I accessed and read."

"You were looking to see if I'd attacked anyone else," Rogers said. "You know what the mentality towards homosexuality was back in the day, Coulson, there wouldn't be records to find if I had done something like that."

Coulson barely tilted his head to the side and blinked once. "You really believe that, don't you?" he asked. "There are records of everything with SHIELD, Rogers. It might not always be easy to find the records, but I have one of the highest clearance levels in the organization and that means there are no reports I cannot access. Now, I will say that the reports I found of your activities here in the states are heavily edited, but that doesn't surprise me. No one would have wanted to admit that their Captain America was out for revenge and sexually assaulting men. That wouldn't have held with the ideals they had for you. I found a total of ten reports that were altered from the tour you went on selling war bonds before they sent you overseas for the first time. Three of those reports concerned women, so while I will concede that you could have raped them, I was more interested in the men."

"You would be, wouldn't you?" Rogers asked. "We all know about you and Hawkeye."

"Hawkeye and I don't care," Coulson replied blandly. "We are who we are and we accept that. Something that you were never able to do for yourself. That's why you went through the procedure, isn't it? You wanted to be just like your best friend and you didn't have a chance at that when you were yourself. Didn't you realize that you were special in other ways and no matter what all the war propaganda said, you could have served your country here in other ways."

Rogers hit the wall and jumped back with a yelp when electricity sparked through him. "Everyone was looking down on me because I was scrawny," he shouted. "No one would let me do anything because of how I looked. You have no idea what that feels like."

"Sure I do, you just don't want to believe it," Coulson said. "You bought into the problem, Rogers, rather than looking for some other sort of solution, and they gave you exactly what you wanted. Muscle to spare, no illnesses, and super enhanced everything. How long did it take you to slip your handlers and go look for one of the guys that beat you up in a back alley?"

"They deserved it, picking on people weaker than they were," Rogers said.

"I wouldn't touch the wall again if I was you, Rogers," Coulson said. "JARVIS is upping the voltage every time you get close to it and it might be possible to stop your heart, even with all of your enhancements. We don't want you dead, just contained where you can't hurt anyone else."

"You can't prove I hurt anyone back in the day."

"That's what you would think, isn't it? However, we have medical reports that detail out the injuries to the men you assaulted combined with the reports the military filed," Coulson said. "I've even found a memo detailing out how much money they were willing to pay to keep these men, and women, quiet about what happened. It's like I told you, Rogers, we have reports on everything."

"Including what happened to Tony I would imagine."

"Of course, but these days we encrypt files that are of a sensitive nature, so there's no harm that can come from them," Coulson said. "Besides, Tony went public and told the world that he was attacked and raped in his lab. He didn't name you as his attacker, but should you decide to even mention your role in the rape, they'll put it all together and you'll fall out of favor. Trust me, Rogers, you don't want to fall any farther out of Director Fury's favor. He might just have you killed if that happens."

Rogers grinned. "The damage would still be done," he said. "No one else would want Tony."

"Times have changed, Rogers," Coulson said. "I think you'll find that should Tony wish to have another sexual partner of either sex, the rape will have no barring on that new relationship beyond some nerves on Tony's part. Rape does not damage the victim. It does not make them impure. It certainly doesn't ruin them forever. It causes damage, it's a trauma both physical and mental and there is a social stigma to it, but victims of rape are survivors. Tony Stark is one of the strongest men I know, and if anyone can recover from what happened to him, then it will be him."


	53. Chapter 53

"The fasteners are almost done, Tony," Barton said, pulling another set from the fabrication units. "How many structures are we planning to build this time around?"

"Six," Tony said. "Three for the bombers to test on and three for us. Bruce, I want to see the Hulk give us just as good a performance as he did last time. Remember that last time was awesome."

Bruce nodded with a smile. "He's fond of you guys and it feels like he listens more when you're talking," he said. "It's a weird feeling, having another personality inside me that has his own likes and dislikes. He's really fond of Hawkeye."

"I think it's because I jump around like he does," Barton grinned. He'd kept quiet about where Coulson was, but he was starting to get a little worried about his lover. He'd been down in the cell area for an awfully long time. "Mostly though I think it's because we accept him as part of our family. If you treat someone like a monster then they're going to act like a monster. Common sense."

"Something you lack most days, Barton," Coulson said, coming back into the lab. "I was going to make us all fish for lunch, but it seems that someone decided that was cat food."

Barton tried to look innocent and failed. "Oh, come on, Coulson, they were starving," he said. "Besides, JARVIS promised not to tell you about that."

"I am sorry, Sir, but Agent Coulson was most upset when he found the fish missing," JARVIS said. 

"Wait, cats?" Tony asked. "What cats?"

"It seems that Barton found a mother cat and her kittens in an alley last week and didn't tell anyone about them," Coulson replied. "They're on his floor."

"Cats in my Tower?" Tony asked.

JARVIS pulled up a picture of the mother cat on the bed Barton had made for her in the living room of his floor. Tony looked at it and blinked. "How old are they?"

"Days old," Barton replied. "Tony, I couldn't just leave them out there to starve to death. They won't leave my floor, I promise."

"No, it's okay, I understand," Tony said. "Helping others extends to helping animals. Just don't let them down here and get them fixed when they're old enough. No more kittens in the Tower."

"Thanks, Tony," Barton said.

Tony went over and pulled Barton into a hug, one of the rare ones that he initiated. "It just took me by surprise," he said softly. "I'm not fond of animals because their hair gets into my machines and messes things up, but with a different floor, it's fine. Do you think I could meet them?"

"We'd need to get you one of those lint roller things so you can get the hair off you before you come back down here, but yeah," Barton said. "Bruce, you want to come along and meet the babies?"

"Yeah, I think I would," Bruce said with a smile.

"Phil?"

"Why not?" Coulson sighed. "It seems like our family is ever expanding."


	54. Chapter 54

"They are so small," Tony said, looking at the kittens. The momma cat wasn't too happy to have strangers around her babies and was hissing any time anyone but Barton got close to him. "Seriously, I think they'd break if we picked them up."

"They won't, but they are delicate," Barton said. He scratched the momma behind the ears. "They're not going to hurt you, Penny, they just wanted to meet you and the babies. I promise that no one in the Tower is going to hurt you guys. You're part of the family now."

Coulson snorted from where he was leaning against the wall. "Clint, you have never once failed to amaze me with how good you are with animals and small children," he said. "There are days when I think they really understand you."

"I've told you, Phil, it's all tone," Barton said. "When you grow up practicing on lions and tigers, you get really good really fast at the tone."

"Penny?" Tony asked.

"Our tiger in the circus," Barton replied with a grin. "This one looks enough like a tiger that it was the first name I thought of. She's definitely fierce enough."

"So how did you get all of this set up without me knowing?" Tony asked. He sat down next to Bruce outside of hissing distance and leaned forward. "I mean, seriously, you've been with me most of the time. You didn't go shopping for cat supplies in the vents."

Barton laughed. "Nope, I grabbed them one morning when you and Phil were talking with Pepper about the new foundation," he said. "There's a pet store a block away and it took me fifteen minutes to get everything Penny needed. You guys want to hold the kittens?"

"When they're older," Tony said. "You don't mind us coming to get to know them before that though, do you?"

"Nope, not at all," Barton said. "Just be careful with Penny if I'm not here. She bites."

Coulson started up from the lean he'd been in and crossed over to his lover. "Cat bites get infected and strays can have rabies," he said. 

"Chill, I had my gloves on and all she got was leather," Barton said. "I've called a vet and asked what to watch for and have an appointment for a couple of weeks so everyone can get checked out. Phil, I'm not stupid enough to pick up a mother cat bare-handed, even if I'd known her for years. They can be extra pissy when they have their kids with them."

"You're sure you're okay?" Coulson asked.

"I'm fine, Phil, I promise," Barton replied. "Seriously, I'm fine. You can check me over if you want to."

"I'd like to watch that," Tony commented, looking back at them with a grin.

"Only if you're a good boy," Barton said with a smirk.

Bruce just sighed. "Do you ever feel like you're going to drown in innuendo around this place, Phil?" he asked.

"Only when these two are together," Coulson said fondly.


	55. Chapter 55

Coulson was alone up in the penthouse area working on the files for Fury when the man's face popped up in the chat program on the tablet. "I've read the initial report you sent in," he said without any sort of hello. "How much of a danger is Steve Rogers to the general public?"

"Right now, Sir, nine," Coulson replied. "I'm not sure exactly what is going through his mind, but there's a lot of anger he was able to hide and I believe he feels that the world still owes him something for his childhood and how he was treated there. I'm amazed the military was able to keep these attacks as quiet as they were."

"I'm not, but then again, I can't say I blame them," Fury said with a sigh. "Think about it from their side of things, Phil. They risked everything for this super-soldier that rallied America to a cause and was making them tons of money in war bond purchase. They did what every military commander has to do, balance the needs of the many against the needs of the one. Now, that's not to say I wouldn't punch them in the face and lock the bastard up, but they were dealing with a different value set back then."

"I just wonder how many attacks went unreported, Nick. I've found so little in our files, I can't imagine that there weren't other incidents that weren't reported, especially when he was over in Europe," Coulson said. "Hell, right now I'd be happy to throw him back in the ice for good."

"It'd seem like the easiest thing to do, wouldn't it?" Fury asked. "Too bad he's one of the most popular on the team. We can't risk losing him right now without a lot of awkward questions, and I'm not prepared to deal with them."

"Tony and Clint are ready to keep their eyes open in battle, Nick," Coulson said. "If Clint sees that shield go anywhere near Iron Man, he'll shoot it down."

Fury sighed. "He'll shoot Rogers too, won't he?"

"It depends on the situation, but you know Clint's not going to do anything to endanger the team while they're in battle. I think we need to come up with a better long-term solution for battle, but the secure apartment in the base is a good start," Coulson said. "Tony's almost ready to get it built, but he had a breakthrough with the fasteners and those have moved to the top of the list."

"Good, I want to see these in action," Fury said. "I've also been working with ANNIE and have to say that she's learning much faster than I thought she would be. I wouldn't be surprised if she's not in a position to help run my office within six months. JARVIS is lurking in the background, but I'm getting used to having him around. Never thought I'd say it, but it's kinda nice knowing there's someone you can talk to without being judged for anything."

"I feel the same way, Nick," Coulson said with a grin. "What's the ETA for Natasha?"

"Three days and I'll have Thor check her over up here," Fury said. "The Hawk sent me a note and says he wants to have a chance to hit her in the head if Thor can't do anything. Do you think he's mentally strong enough to do it?"

"I think he feels like he owes her for getting him back after the battle on the Helicarrier," Coulson said. "She hit him really hard on the head and it knocked all the magic loose, so it's logical to try the same thing here if Thor can't help her."

Fury nodded. "All right, I'll allow it, but Hawk is not going to be more involved than that," he said. "I do not want my boy hurt more than he already is. How's he doing with all of this?"

"It bothers him, but he's still focused on Tony and helping Tony recover, so he's pushing it to the back of his mind like he does everything that bothers him," Coulson said. "He also brought home a mother cat that he's named Penny and her five kittens. Tony's in love, even if he won't admit it, and Bruce is still in with them trying to get to know Penny better. I wouldn't be surprised to have the cats in the common areas of the Tower when they're older."

"Cats," Fury said.

"As long as they don't get into the lab or R&D floors, Sir, why not?" Coulson asked. "Anything that'll make them smile at the end of the day is a good thing."

"Yeah, it is," Fury said. "I'm still waiting for some sort of backlash from the rape."

"Honestly, Sir, Tony is healing better than I expected him to," Coulson said. "I don't know when he'll be able to be left completely alone, but he's stayed with Bruce a few times with no problems, and he's starting to make suggestive statements again, which Clint is throwing right back at him. Tony's comfortable with both Clint and me hugging him and touching him non-sexually at any time. We haven't tried anything sexual because he's not ready, but I think he might be soon."

"What are you going to do then?" Fury asked.

"It's up to Tony, Nick, but I think that we've formed a committed threesome without realizing it and adding sex into our relationship will only make it stronger," Coulson replied. "I know you probably think I'm crazy, but I do love them both."

"I've known you're crazy for years," Fury said. "Get me the files and let's get going on these walls, Phil. The sooner we get past these projects, the sooner we can get back to whatever the hell normal is around here."


	56. Chapter 56

"Okay, seriously, how hard is this? Fasteners plus walls equal buildings," Tony said, looking at the R&D people who were with him in the field. "I even made you the screws to go with the fasteners and pre-drilled the holes so you wouldn't have any trouble putting these together. We're ready to try and blow these things up and all I'm seeing are piles of materials. What went wrong?"

"Nothing went wrong, we just can't find anything to put the buildings together with," one of the scientists said.

"You mean you dragged me out here for nothing?" Fury asked from behind the scientists.

Barton had to work not to smirk when the group of scientists all yelped. They should know that Fury was good at showing up where no one was expecting him, and his temper was never good first thing in the morning before he had his first five cups of coffee. Coulson, who was standing next to Barton in a place they could reach Tony quickly if they needed to, glanced over at his lover and sighed. "Director Fury, Sir, I think they're doing this on purpose," he said.

"I think you're right about that, Agent Coulson, because they had all the buildings fully assembled last time before we arrived and those didn't even have pre-drilled holes in them," Fury said. "Now you get to convince me this wasn't a plot to get Mr. Stark out into the middle of a field where he might be vulnerable to an attack by an outside force. If I find out that is the case, you lot are going to find out why I had a plank installed on the Helicarrier."

Tony retreated back to stand by Barton and Coulson. "He didn't," he whispered.

"Oh, he did," Coulson said. "Right after the Battle in New York, when we were repairing, he had it installed. No one has pissed him off enough to have to use it, but it's there for situations very much like this one."

Barton listened to the conversation, but his eyes were watching the scientists as they fell over each other trying to assure Fury that the lack of buildings on the field wasn't a plot to hurt any of the Avengers. They just needed more time to get things ready for the tests. "Come on, Tony, suit up," he said softly. "Let's start putting these buildings together while the scientists try and convince Director Fury that they're innocent."

"Yeah, sounds good," Tony said. He activated the suit and went over to the first pile of materials. "If I hold, can you screw?"

"Tony, you can't give me lines like that in the middle of crowds," Barton groaned. He picked up the electric drill and checked the bit. 

"So that's a yes then," Tony said. The smirk was obvious in his voice. "Okay, let's get to work here, Legolas."

Coulson watched the pair fondly. He could tell that their bond was built on a very secure love of innuendo, dirty jokes, mutual respect, and a shared crappy childhood. He didn't think there would ever be a day when he wouldn't love them both with every fiber of his being. When Bruce joined the group putting the buildings together, Coulson did smile and moved over next to Director Fury. "The buildings will be up in an hour, Sir," he said.

"Thank you, Agent Coulson," Fury said. "That is the sort of work ethic I like to see in my people. The rest of you, seeing as you don't know how to work an electric drill, you start setting up the sensors and other monitoring equipment we need for these tests. If there is one missed reading, I'm going to figure out which one of you messed up and you will walk the plank. Am I understood?"

The scientists scattered. Fury glanced over at Coulson. "If this was a plot to get Iron Man out here, Phil, then it failed miserably," he said softly.

"The day isn't over yet, Nick," Coulson pointed out. "It's still possible something could happen. To either Tony or Clint."

"Let's make sure it doesn't," Fury said. "I'll watch them, you go watch the scientists. I'm tired of people plotting against my strike team. This ends now."


	57. Chapter 57

The first set of buildings up were the ones for the Avengers because Bruce needed to be back in the Tower by early afternoon for one of his experiments. Coulson had talked with Sitwell and made plans for the Avengers to go first in the second round of tests. The trio got the buildings up with the roofs on and Tony was flying over everything to make sure the distances were right.

"Sir, there is a land mine directly in front of Director Fury," JARVIS said.

"Barton, get everyone clear!" Tony said as he swooped down. He'd just wrapped his arms around Fury when there was an explosion that sent the pair tumbling through the air and Tony battled to get the suit back under control. "JARVIS, what the hell? Is everyone okay?"

"You and Director Fury were the only ones impacted by the blast," JARVIS said. "The concussive wave took both Clint and Dr. Banner into one of the walls, but the Hulk caught Clint and they are both fine."

Tony landed in a heap with Fury on top of the suit. "Nick, talk to me, are you okay?" he asked.

"What the hell," Fury demanded trying to sit up.

"Iron Man just saved your life, Nick," Coulson said, appearing next to them. "Tony, are you okay?"

"No worse than I am after battle," Tony said. "Is Nick okay? I didn't hurt him, did I? I tried to be careful when I grabbed, but he'd already stepped on the mine."

Fury rolled to the side and stood up. "I'll be fine, Tony," he said. "You stay in your suit until we're sure this wasn't meant for you."

"Tony, you guys okay?" Barton asked, jogging up. "Nick, you're not hurt?"

"I'm fine, Hawk, stand down," Fury replied. "No one knew we were planning to be out here today, so either we have a leak in our system, or someone decided that it would be a good idea to try and kill an agent of SHIELD. I want to know which it is."

"Jasper is rounding up the scientists," Coulson said. "Sir, no one knew we would be here today until late last night. I'd like to believe that the land mine is left over from a previous military drill, but I don't know if we can take that sort of a risk at this time. Permission to investigate?"

"Permission granted," Fury said. "I want answers, Coulson, and the sooner the better."

"Barton, stay with Tony," Coulson said as he followed Fury back down towards the buildings.

Barton sighed. "Has no one else even thought of the possibility that there might be more of the things down there?" he asked. "JARVIS, please tell me that was the only one."

"I am not detecting any other weapons in the area at this time," JARVIS replied. "I believe that allowing Mr. Stark to see the remains of the mine would be a good idea."

"Yeah, it would. I know way too much about weapons and I can probably tell you who built it," Tony said. "Come on, Clint, let's go see what's going on down there. Where's Bruce?"

"In the woods. I'm sure he'll show up again when we need him."  
****

Coulson wasn't happy. He'd left the Director talking with his normal support staff and went towards Sitwell and the scientists. "All right, let me summarize this morning for everyone," he said, looking at the group. "When we arrived at the appointed time for our tests to begin, none of the structures were set up and ready for us to proceed. The Avengers had to set them up while the rest of you worked with the equipment for readings. The building marked out for the Hulk was placed by a land mine that would have killed our Director had Iron Man not been as fast as he was. Now then, I want answers and I want them in an orderly manner. Anyone who dares to talk over anyone else will be locked in the brig on the Helicarrier until such time as I can talk with him. Please note that the cell you will be imprisoned in will not be wide enough for you to stretch, and by the time I am able to speak with you, walking the plank will look like the better option. Anyone found to be lying to me will be given to the Hulk for batting practice. Does everyone understand?"

The group in front of him seemed too stunned to even nod. Coulson did it for them. "Good, I'm glad we understand each other," he said. "One final note before we begin. Anyone who lies to me about anything, and I do mean anything, will be given over to Iron Man for target practice. Should Iron Man miss, Hawkeye will be there to shoot them. Believe me when I say that Hawkeye never misses." He didn't flinch when the arrow buzzed past his ear and hit the tree off to the side. "Ever. You do not want to lie to me. Now then, we'll start with you, Sitwell."


	58. Chapter 58

Tony did three passes over the area to make sure there were no more explosives hidden that could hurt any of them. The stock-pile with the pilots didn't count because those would be used to test the buildings. "JARVIS, how the hell?" he asked. "I know what they're thinking, that this was planned for me, but those walls were already color-coded and it was buried near the Hulk's building. Someone wanted to try and blow Bruce up?"

"Until such time as we have answers, Sir, I believe it is pointless to speculate," JARVIS replied. "However, I will say that there was no guarantee that you would be one of the ones to assemble the buildings. Given that you have been in your suit for practically every time you have ventured out of the Tower, I believe that this was no a direct attack against you. No one but our small group of friends knows who your attacker is, and there is no logical way for this to be retribution against you for the attack."

"If I find out anyone is blaming me for me being raped, I'm going to test my repulsors on them," Tony said. He switched to the group comm. "Hawkeye, I'm not seeing anything else. I think we're in the clear. You have all those pieces put together for me?"

"Yeah, and the building is in tact," Barton replied. "We've got some big pieces here, Tony, and I'm not seeing any maker name on them. I don't think this was old Stark tech that someone got a hold of."

"We haven't made landmines in decades," Tony said. "My father didn't like things that just went boom. He liked targeting systems and detail and precision." He landed next to Barton and looked at the debris in front of them. "Yeah, this isn't Stark tech. This is old military, something that could have been here for years, if not for the fact that this used to all be woodlands. No reason for there to be mines here."

"I'll be honest, Tony, the ground was so messed up by tire tracks and lifter tracks that I didn't notice any disturbances before everything went boom," Barton said. 

Tony looked around. "The blast hole was under one of the walls," he said. "God, Clint, it could have taken you or Bruce out while we were putting the buildings up. Someone wanted to hurt us. JARVIS, what's the chance of getting fingerprints off these pieces?"

"It can be attempted, Sir, but given the heat from the blast it's possible any oils left behind by the person handling it would have burned away," JARVIS said. "Would you like me to scan for prints?"

"Yeah, do that and let's see who is messing with us," Tony said. "Clint, how's Fury doing?"

"He's shaken, but he's not going to let anyone see it," Barton replied softly. "The director of SHIELD can't be weak, Tony, no matter what happens to him. I think Phil's going to go back to the base with Fury tonight and make sure he's okay. Will you be all right with me and Bruce in the Tower with you?"

"Yeah, that's totally fine," Tony said. "We need to take care of Nick too. We can't just buy one-eyes pirates on the open market. What about the science team? Have they stopped trembling long enough to talk to Agent about what happened?"

Barton snorted. "Three of them passed out," he said. "I think that amused Coulson way more than he's going to admit to, but no one seems to know anything. None of this makes any sense to me."

"Me either, but we'll figure it out, Clint. There's Bruce, looks like he's ready to help out however he can. What should we be doing?"

"As soon as JARVIS finishes those scans, the two of you could head back to the Tower," Barton said. "I need to stay here to back Coulson, but it's up to you if you feel safer here or there, Tony."

"Right now, I feel safer wherever you are."

"All right then, but if you want to go, just let me know. Hey, Bruce, you okay?"

"Not even a bruise," Bruce said. "What about you, Clint? I grabbed you pretty hard."

"I'll be fine," Barton said. He turned and looked back towards the science group. Both Bruce and Tony jumped when Barton pulled an arrow out and fired at the group without warning. "Coulson, on your left," he yelled.

Coulson dodged right without hesitation, the arrow flying past him and impacting one of the science team squarely in the stomach. He walked over to the gasping man and looked down. "A gun, really?" he asked softly. "What part of world's greatest marksman did you miss, you idiot?"

The man tried to sit up but found an arrow in his face with a very angry archer behind it. "That last one was blunt tipped, designed to take down and not kill," Barton said softly. "This one will split your head open like a melon before you can blink. I think, Coulson, that we have our first suspect of the day. Given everything, I think we should let the Hulk question him."

"That's a good idea, Agent Barton," Coulson said, completely serious. "I recognize this man, he works for the General, so our target today was Bruce. Sitwell, I have more questions for you, but at least we know who the target was. Barton, you go along with the security team to make sure this loser doesn't try anything funny. The tests will have to wait until a later time."

Barton grinned. "If he makes one wrong move, he'll be swiss cheese, Sir," he said. "But you'll still be able to question him. I know a lot of places on the body to immobilize and not kill." He looked at the man in front of him. "Would you like to learn them?"


	59. Chapter 59

"Tony, how are you holding up?" Bruce asked when the pair was back in the Tower in the lab. "Things kinda got out of hand out there."

"I'm okay, I think," Tony replied. "I mean, I wasn't expecting to have both Coulson and Barton have to go and be involved in the interrogations at the Helicarrier, but I have to start adjusting to it. I just, I've kind of got the shakes, you know."

Bruce nodded. "Yeah, I totally know what you're talking about," he said. "Tony, I know I'm not one of your partners, but the Hulk will come out to protect you no matter what."

"Partners?" Tony asked. "What partners? I don't...... Really?"

"Yeah, they love you, Tony," Bruce said. "It's not just friendship that's kept them at your side through everything. Both of those men love you."

"How did I not realize this?" Tony asked. "I mean, I tried to get them to kiss me the other night, but that was based on a conversation we'd had before the attack and they told me they knew I wasn't ready and not to push myself. How did I not realize they love me?"

"I think you've been focused on yourself, which is what you need," Bruce said. "If they didn't love you, Tony, they wouldn't have stopped you the other night. I've been watching them pretty closely and can promise you that both Phil and Clint love you."

Tony sat down hard. "What if I'm never ready?" he asked softly. "What if I just want to be held at night and know that they're there for me no matter what? I hadn't even thought about it, but they're lovers and they haven't had time alone since my attack. They have to both be feeling really frustrated right now. Why wouldn't they have mentioned something to me before this?"

"Because they love you and they know you need them," Bruce said. "Tony, I'm probably not the best one to be having this conversation with, honestly. I think you really need to talk with Phil and Clint about things, so you guys can all be on the same page. The problem is finding a calm minute to have a conversation. It seems like we always have things blowing up, or experiments to run and time gets away from us. Maybe when they both come home tonight, talk with them, see what they have to say."

"I don't know if Phil is coming home tonight," Tony said. "Clint mentioned that he'd probably spend the night making sure Fury was okay. Which I totally support, we need our insane one-eyed pirate around the place. He totally can't deny the pirate part of it now, not if he has a plank for people to walk. That's totally pirate right there."

"He'll hurt you if you get him a parrot," Barton commented as he walked into the lab. "Bruce, thanks for coming back to the Tower with Tony like that. I know it couldn't have been easy leaving things hanging like that. Coulson's still questioning the idiot, but it sounds like the General wanted to see how you would stand up to a standard landmine for some reason."

Bruce sighed. "He never has sane reasons when it comes to me," he said. "Guys, thank you for today. It means a lot. I'm going to go enjoy that bathtub that Tony put on my floor. See you in the morning. Tony, remember what we talked about."

"Night, Bruce," Barton said. "Sounds serious, Tony, is everything okay?"

"Bruce just pointed out something I hadn't realized," Tony said. "Clint, do you love me, like romantic love and no brother or companion like love?"

"Tony, I'd never thought it'd be possible to love anyone like I love Phil, but you showed me I was wrong," Barton said. "Yeah, I love you, Tony Stark. And, because I know how your mind works, I don't mind if we never have sex, and Phil and I have managed some alone time in the shower so do not blame yourself for anything."

Tony moved over and sat next to Barton on the table. "I just don't know if I can let anyone touch me like that again," he said softly.

"You were attacked in your lab, Tony, the very center of your safe zone," Barton said. He put an arm around Tony's shoulders and pulled him in slowly, giving the other man plenty of time to move away if he didn't want the contact. "You're still recovering from the attack and things are being thrown at you left and right. You're doing so much for others at the same time that I don't think you realize how much you still have to recover from. Look, you can tolerate both Phil and me touching you without warning. You sleep better when you're between the two of us in that oversized bed you have, and you're comfortable showering or bathing with us. That's all great, but you still have to recover your sense of self to allow yourself to be vulnerable again. We're not going to push and we're not going to let you push yourself too hard either, because that can be worse than the initial attack. We love you, we're in this for the long haul, but you call the shots when it comes to you and your comfort zones. If you're never ready for sex, then we'll cuddle you every night and be happy. Focus on what you want and what's best for you, not what you think the two of us want."

"Bruce called you guys my partners today," Tony said. "I don't know how he realized it before I did."

Barton grinned. "Because you're working on twelve projects at once and he's watching you," he said. "Tony, you're more than a partner, you're my best friend. Most people would expect me to say Nat, but she's my sister. I don't even know if I'll have her much longer, and that scares me. Right now it's just one step at a time."

"I can do that," Tony said. "We'll find a way to fix Natasha. The team is already fractured enough. We need our scary assassin around."

"I hope you're right, Tony," Barton said softly. "I hope you're right."


	60. Chapter 60

"She's back earlier than we expected," Coulson said from the room he and Fury were in to watch Thor talk with Natasha. "Was her mission successful, Sir?"

"It was and I've already debriefed her," Fury said. "I'll be honest, Phil, she seems perfectly normal to me. I know she's treating Hawk odd and Thor says there's magic in her, but I sure as hell can't tell it."

Coulson sighed. "That's part of the problem with magic, Sir, it hides itself so well that it can be impossible to tell when it is there," he said. "I can tell that Natasha isn't quite right, but that might be because I've spent more time with her. I hope that Thor can do something because, right now, I don't think I want to bring her into the Tower while Rogers is still there."

"We have at least another week before the apartment is ready. I can order her to stay on-base, but that will raise questions in her mind, and might make it harder to get her right again," Fury said. "Damn it, Phil, I don't know what the hell I'm doing here."

"I don't know that any of us do, Nick," Coulson said. "The only thing I'm absolutely certain of is that magic is not an answer we want to consider again for problems with our people. I think this has shown, beyond any doubt, that it just causes more problems than it cures."

"You're right enough about that," Fury sighed. "We'll let her go back to the Tower, but have JARVIS seal off all access to the Hulk cell. Bruce can still take his meals in, but I don't want anyone else down on that level until after Rogers is moved to his new home. Hell, I've still got some questions for her about that junior agent she used to get information on everyone. It's possible that all of this could take a week."

"I suppose it's possible, Sir," Coulson said.  
****

"It always worries me when Agent goes off to do super-spy stuff," Tony said from under the computer bank he was working with. ANNIE had progressed fast enough that Fury asked for Tony to go ahead and code JUNIOR so they could be sure that all the information was safe from outside access. "Especially when he doesn't tell us where he's going or how long he's going to be gone."

"Nat's back," Barton said. He was sitting where he could be on guard for Tony, but also hand him things. Bruce was staying in the Tower until they were sure there wouldn't be another attack against him. "They don't want me to know about it, but she sent me a text this morning. I guess that means Thor is in with her and they're trying to get all of the magic out of her brain before they let her go again."

Tony glanced out. "You holding up okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's out of my control right now, so all I can do is worry," Barton replied. "Nick's promised me that I can have one shot to hit her on the head before they take more drastic action. I'm just waiting for the call."

"I don't know how you can be so calm about it, Clint. I think I'd be all over the place waiting."

"Part of my training, I guess. I'm used to waiting and not having all the answers, so I've just sort of slipped into work mode," Barton said. "It doesn't mean I'm not feeling all of this, because I am, but it means I can process it a little better. I don't know why, but I think better when I'm in my work mode."

"Because you've trained yourself to think faster when you're working or shooting," Tony said. "It's the opposite for me, I had to train myself to stop thinking about things when I was trying to get to sleep. It's one reason I have so much trouble falling asleep. My brain will not be quiet and shut down for me, so no matter how tired I am, it's always working. You should see some of the tangents it goes off on."

Barton laughed. "I can imagine, especially if it's anything like you do when you're working in the lab," he said. "I'm worried about her, Tony, but I know that Nick and Phil are going to do everything in their power to get her back before they order someone to kill her. Nat's important to SHIELD and we don't give up easily. It's not going to be an easy time, but we're not going to give up until there isn't another option to look at."

"Maybe JARVIS and I can come up with a few other tests," Tony said. "Hand me that screwdriver, will you? It can't be all that hard to work out how to deprogram someone. If hitting them on the head works, then there has to be other options. Let me think about it for a bit. Wire too."

"What sort of voice is JUNIOR going to have, Tony?" Barton asked.

"I haven't decided yet," Tony replied. "I'll need to talk with him a bit before I program in his final voice. I'm sure it'll be something interesting though."


	61. Chapter 61

Barton wasn't sure what Fury wanted with him, even though he had an idea, and he just nodded at Coulson before heading out towards Fury's office. He knew that Coulson wouldn't leave Tony alone for anything short of a full-scale alien invasion against the Helicarrier, but he still wanted to hurry and get back. He tapped twice on Fury's office door and went in. "You wanted to see me, Sir?"

"Close the door, Agent Barton," Fury said. "This isn't official business, Clint, this is me being Nick right now."

"Is this about Nat?" Barton asked, sitting down in one of the chairs. "She sent me a text when she landed, Nick. I've known she was back the whole time."

"Is there any point in me trying to keep a secret around this place?" Fury asked.

"Probably not, Sir," Barton replied with an attempt at a grin. "What's Thor say?"

Fury sighed. "The traces of magic he's finding in her mind have rewritten a few things," he said. "She's supposedly still loyal to SHIELD, and I phrase it like that only because I haven't had a chance to talk with her about the junior agent that tried to kill Stark and steal our files. She's just seeing you a little differently, which I don't understand because the magic Thor was using was supposed to make Rogers forget about Stark, the debt and the attack."

"I still don't remember much from when I was with Loki, Nick, but the magic he used took different forms in me and Dr. Selvig," Barton said. "I was able to think about different things. I planned out attacks, recruited people to work against Loki's enemies, and was able to fight. Selvig, he was obsessed with the portal he was building and the cube. They were all he could talk about, the only things in his world. Is it that unlikely that the magic Thor was using would have a different effect on Rogers and Nat?"

"I wish I'd listened to you, Hawk," Fury admitted. "You tried to tell me that this wasn't a good idea, but I was so desperate for a solution, I didn't listen."

"You have to use the tools available to you," Barton said.

"Well, I'll be a lot more aware of magic's problems from this point on," Fury said. "Thor thinks he can unwork most of the magic, but there will still be problems. Do you still want to try your method?"

"If I can, Sir, yes," Barton said. "It worked for me and it worked for Selvig. Hell, it might technically have even worked for Loki, although he's insane no matter what. All you have to do is put Nat and me in a secure sparring room and give me some time. It won't be easy, but I can get the hit in. Just have medical on stand-by."

Fury nodded. "I wasn't planning to keep them out of this," he said. "The other thing I needed to ask about is the secure apartment. Where is Tony with the AI install?"

"He should have JUNIOR coded by the end of tomorrow," Barton said. "There'll still be things he needs to work on with them, but I think JARVIS would be able to handle most of the initial training. Nick, I have to tell you that Tony freaked out at the thought you'd want him blindfolded to go to this base. I think giving you the specs and having Phil or Bruce oversee the install would be a better idea than putting Tony through that. He's doing better, and I don't want to risk anything causing him flashbacks if I can help it."

"Would Phil be willing to oversee the project and leave you alone at the Tower?" Fury asked.

"It wouldn't be easy, but he would if I asked him to," Barton replied. "I think that's the best for everyone, Nick. I'm amazed at how well Tony's doing, but he hasn't had to confront Rogers since that day down in the cell. They had a wall and JARVIS between them. Battle and interviews are going to be different."

"We're going to do our best to have Phil handle the after battle interviews," Fury said. "I would have you do it, but I can't risk your cover being blown."

"That's fine, I'd probably piss 'em off," Barton said. "Phil's a good pick, but people are going to demand to see Rogers eventually, Nick. What's going to happen then?"

Fury sighed again. "We try to contain the fallout," he said.


	62. Chapter 62

"Serious conversation time," Barton said when the three of them were home that night.

"Must be if you're bringing it up before dinner," Tony commented. "Seriously, you need to try the food from this place."

"We will, Tony, but let's get through this first," Coulson said. "JARVIS, you know what we all like. Go ahead and place the order. We should be done talking by the time the food gets here. Go ahead, Clint."

Barton sighed. "It took some doing, but Nick and I managed to work out a plan for the next week," he said. "Which mean, of course, that everything is going to fall apart in two days, maybe three."

"Such pessimism," Tony said. He sat down next to Barton and curled up. "What's the plan?"

"Nick's sent the dimensions of the apartment for Rogers to JARVIS," Barton said. "We're going to make up the walls and the electrics that will act as a deterrent from getting close to the walls surrounding the place, and we're going to send them to the base. Phil, if you're up to it, you're going to go and oversee the install while Tony and I stay and work with ANNIE and JUNIOR to get them up and running completely."

"So now we don't get to see the super secret base?" Tony asked.

"We can if you want, but think about it, Tony," Barton said. "You were nervous about going to the base, enough so that it made you think you'd have to be blindfolded or restrained to do this project. Where will you do more good? In the base, which is underground, or up on the Helicarrier and here in the Tower working on the AI projects and the walls and fasteners for that project?"

"Well, when you put it that way, the choice is obvious, but does Agent really have to go?"

Coulson nodded. "I'll be familiar enough with the materials and process to make sure that there are no mistakes made," he said. "That way, once we put Rogers in there, we can be sure he won't be getting out unless we let him out for a battle. You can be positive that you're safe."

"It'll just be hard to sleep without you on my other side," Tony admitted.

"It won't be for long," Coulson said. He moved over and sat down on Tony's other side. "There's more that Clint's not telling us though, Tony. Finish it up, Clint."

"Nick's having a secure room prepared for me and Nat," Barton said softly. "Two metal poles at the right height for me to use to hit her head on, if I can get that far in the fight. No sharp edges, nothing that can be broken off to be used as a weapon, and we'll both be stripped searched before we're let in there. Nick said that if this doesn't work, it'll be a cell for her for a while, too, and I can't let that happen to her."

"We know," Coulson said. "When are you going to go up against her?"

"End of the week," Barton said. "Nick wanted you back, Phil, and also for a chance to fully debrief and question her about the junior agent and those files we found stolen."

Tony moved so he could see Barton's face. "So that gives me four days to finish up my projects and work out some projections for other ways to cure Natasha," he said. "I'll get started after supper. I'd go now, but you guys would just drag me back."

"It's because we love you, Tony," Barton said.

"Sitting like this, I can feel it," Tony said softly.


	63. Chapter 63

"So, how are they moving Rogers?" Tony asked later in the week.

"In chains and sedated," Barton replied, looking up from the spec sheet he was reading on a tablet. The pair was in the common area of the Tower waiting for Coulson to get home. "We'll be in the lab when they're doing it, just to make sure you're safe."

Tony sighed. "In a way, and it surprised me, but I hate to see him go and spend the rest of his life locked under a mountain," he said. "I mean, I know he totally deserves it and I'd give money to the people he attacked back before he went into the ice if Fury would let me because no one deserves to be bought like that and have no one know what happened to them, and I know he's a danger to society and we have to be careful and all that, but it's still a cell under a mountain. Nothing good ever happens in caves, Clint."

"The apartment isn't bad, really," Barton said. "He'll have about as much space as he would on his floor here in the Tower and there's sunlamps in there to help keep him healthy. Think about the alternatives, Tony."

"Yeah, send him to prison, which totally wouldn't work because everyone would know the truth and the cells wouldn't be able to hold him, or kill him," Tony said. "As scared as I am, as hurt as I am, all those people he hurt, I still don't want to see the man dead. He's not a hero, he's a villain, so why do I feel so bad for him?"

"Maybe because, in a way, you can related to him," Barton said. "You both had crappy childhoods, hell, who on the team didn't? He went into the ice and lost over seventy years of his life and is lost in the modern age, and he barely had a chance to live again when he attacked you and now he's going back underground for the rest of his life. However long that actually is. There's no estimate on how long he'll live."

"Maybe," Tony said. "Seriously, I don't want him loose, he's too much of a danger. It just surprised me to feel bad for him like this. It just sort of came up on me last night when we were getting ready for bed."

Barton moved over and put an arm around Tony. "Under that arc reactor of yours, you have a pretty big heart, Tony," he said. "I think I'd be surprised if you didn't feel a little bad for him. Before the attack, the two of you had managed to become friends. I'm with you though, I don't want to think about him loose in the modern age. Phil finally showed me the numbers as closely as they could estimate it from the files."

"How many people?" Tony asked softly.

"Men and women combined, fifty," Barton replied. "That's here and over in Europe. There's something dark living inside Rogers, Tony, something that no one saw before they finished the whole super soldier program and then realized they had Frankenstein's monster on their hands."

"That's remarkably accurate," Coulson commented.

"Agent," Tony exclaimed, "how long have you been back?"

"Long enough to see them take Rogers from the Tower," Coulson replied. "He's currently in transit. That means, Tony, that we need to upgrade the security protocols around the entrances to the Tower and your house out in Malibu just to be safe, and then Rogers will never be able to get near you again. You're going to be able to finish healing."

Tony tried to smile. "So much for being in the lab when they moved him."

"Sorry, but we thought it would be less traumatic for you to not know what we were doing," Coulson said. "JARVIS turned off the elevators and locked down the stairs while we were working. There was no chance of him getting up to you."

"You could have let me know," Barton pointed out.

"It wasn't even ten minutes," Coulson said. He kissed Barton on the top of the head and ruffled Tony's hair. "What have the two of you been up to while I've been gone?"

"Working in the lab," Tony said. "Barton's got some sort of spec sheet from Fury, but I can't even figure out what it is, so I've given up on trying. I've got one more theory for getting the residual magic out of Natasha if Clint's fight doesn't do it."

"What's that?" Coulson asked.

"He hits her with a repulsor blast and then I grab her and hit her in the head," Barton replied, rolling his eyes. "It certainly has the element of surprise to it."

Coulson smiled fondly. "We'll save that for a last resort," he said. "Two days, Clint?"

"Yep, Nick's been in touch," Barton said. "Nat's admitted that she was coaching the junior in obtaining classified information to use as leverage in case of problems, but says she never told him to hack into the computers and take our files. He's not sure if he believes her or not, but he's still asking her questions. I'll find out more when I'm back up on the Helicarrier."

"What's the bet pool at?" Coulson asked.

"Fifty to one against on me," Barton sighed. "Nat's always the favorite any time we spar. It doesn't surprise me."

Tony looked over. "They're idiots to not realize you're the more deadly of the two," he said. "Even if Natasha beats you, you're still more deadly."

"Only when my family or close friends are threatened, Tony," Barton said. "I was going to cook us some dinner, Phil, you hungry?"

"Not smooth, Clint," Coulson sighed. "I am pushing the topic later. I know how much this hurts you."

"Yeah, I know you know. Dinner?"

"That would be nice, Clint, thank you," Coulson said, giving up for the moment.


	64. Chapter 64

"Hey, so I was wondering something, and please tell me if I'm out of line or you don't want to, but I wanted to ask you if maybe I could watch the two of you together tonight," Tony said, almost too fast to be understood.

"Well, let's talk about this," Coulson said, sitting down in his favorite chair. "Tony, you've had sex with me and you've thought about it with Clint, but you've never mentioned any other men. I know you've been raped at least twice though. Do you think that seeing two men together would be a trigger for you?"

Tony glanced over at Barton and almost rolled his eyes. Barton shook his head. "It's a fair point, Tony," he said. "This is a huge step for you to take. You've been okay with the few kisses we've given you, but those were chaste and careful. I know you think that you need to jump right back into it all, but there's a lot to consider here. Phil's got a valid point on this one. You're not out of line, we're past that part of the relationship, but I don't want to trigger a panic attack in you."

"I don't know," Tony said. "I really don't. It's just that you mentioned that you've been stealing time together in the shower and that got me thinking that I know what you both look like naked and I've been getting some really nice visuals even if I've never seen the real thing. I'm not ready to be touched like that, not by someone else, although I might be able to jerk off if I got lost enough in what I was seeing, but I thought that maybe seeing the two of you together would help me get back on the road to being able to enjoy sex again. It's something I've always loved, but right now, no. Just, no."

"It's always hard to lose something you enjoy," Coulson said. "You know you have as long as you need for this, right, Tony?"

Tony nodded with a sigh. "Could we maybe try and see how I do?" he asked. "I still don't know my triggers and don't know what's going to affect me until it happens. I still don't remember a lot of what happened in the lab, I don't think I want to ever remember everything that happened there, but beyond that, I don't know. Phil, you know how hard it is for me to say those words. I hate not knowing things."

"I know, Tony, and I'm proud of you ever time you are able to say them," Coulson said with a fond smile. "How would you want this set up, Tony? It's possible that having the smell of sex in the bed could cause nightmares for you once we all go to bed. In the past, when I've been helping Clint, we've used the sofa and then gone to bed once we're both able to move again."

"Well, you two could be on the sofa and I could be in the chair," Tony said. "It's not the best visuals, but it's something."

"What if we just did something simple?" Barton asked. "No one says that we have to go all out, right? So what if we leave sex until another night and I suck Phil off?"

Coulson looked over at his lover. "Reasoning?"

"There's less holding down in that situation, Phil. You'd be able to be in control and get away if you need to," Barton said. "I'd be on my knees in front of you, meaning that I'm not threatening in any way. It would still let Tony see us together, but in a scenario that won't be as likely to trigger a flashback or panic attack."

"I'll agree, except that you generally finger me in this situation, and I don't know how good of an idea that is tonight," Coulson said seriously.

"Oh for god's sake, can you hear yourselves?" Tony asked.

Barton glanced over and couldn't help the fond smile. "Come here," he said, holding his arms open. "We're just worried about you, Tony. We don't want you freaking out on us. This still isn't us treating you like you're broken. This is us being careful not to traumatize you too badly."

Tony curled up against Barton's chest with a sigh. "It's just, you guys are treating this like a mission and it's not," he said. "I just want to see you together and I know that it won't be violent or bad or anything like that because you love each other and I can't picture the two of you treating each other like that."

"Clint bites," Coulson commented.

"Only when you ask me," Barton replied. "Tony, you have to remember who our third lover is here. Phil gets off on paperwork."

"He does not," Tony said.

"Oh, he totally does," Barton said. "There was one day I was in his office when HR brought by a new form set that was being put in place for post mission debriefs. He wasn't even three pages into the folder before he had me under his desk sucking him off because of the lines or content or something in the paperwork. I knew he was wired differently when I fell in love with him, but I had never seen a man get that hard reading forms from HR before."

Coulson coughed. "In my defense, the lines were spaced wonderfully," he said. "That was very attractive paperwork. Even Nick thought so."

"Okay, that there, no," Tony said, shivering. "That just killed the mood completely. No, never thinking about Nick Fury and sex in the same sentence again." He hid his face against Barton's neck. "No, not going there. At all. Ever."

"You don't have to, Tony," Barton whispered. "Just think about Phil and me in the shower and all the nasties will run away."

"We have some very unusual conversations," Coulson commented with a sigh. "I'm going to get us dessert seeing as the mood has been killed. Tony, do you want ice cream?"

"Please," Tony managed.


	65. Chapter 65

"Losing her is going to kill him, Nick," Coulson commented from behind the one-way glass in the wall of the secure room set up for the fight between Barton and Natasha. "I really hope this works."

"It's possible she gave me answers I wanted to hear, but I don't think she did," Fury said. "She was surprised by my line of questioning and didn't have any warning that it was coming. Her reactions were genuine. I just want to be sure that all the magic is gone before we return her to both the field and the Avengers."

Coulson sighed. "I have to say your people did a wonderful job with this room," he said. "Are those bars as strong as they look?"

"Hawk's been testing them for me, they're strong and won't snap, not even if the Hulk were to try and bend them," Fury said. "The glass here is shatterproof and there's nothing in the room, least as far as I can see, that can be turned into a weapon. Hawk wants you to check for him, though. Given how easily you make weapons out of things."

"It's a talent that not everyone has, Nick," Coulson said. "Are you going to join me for this weapon's check?"

"Of course I am. Between the two of us, we should be able to make sure our Hawk is totally safe, or as safe as he can be going up against a Russian assassin."

"You have a good point there," Coulson said.  
****

Tony looked up from the final coding he was doing on JUNIOR. "If you keep pacing like that, Clint, you're going to wear a hole through the floor," he said. "Given that we're currently up in the air over New York, I think that would be bad."

"I'm just worried about Nat," Barton said. He sat down next to Tony with a sigh. "They're checking the room over now to make sure there's no chance of anything that can be turned into a weapon got in there. I'm going to have to go up against Nat not knowing how much of her is really in there. It's one thing to know that she's still loyal to SHIELD. I don't know how she feels about me right now."

"You think she's going to be out for blood."

"She was when we first met. If the magic impacted her badly enough, it's possible she's forgotten everything between us and is right back in that mind-set," Barton said. "She and I spar, with no safety in place half the time. That drives Phil nuts because we always come out bruised and cut up. The one thing we never do is break bones, and I don't know if she won't be trying to tomorrow."

"I've seen her fight," Tony said. "I hacked Hammer's system and downloaded Natasha going in to shut down those drones that Hammer turned loose on my Expo. She's scary when she's in the zone. Really scary."

Barton nodded. "Yep, she is," he agreed. 

"But you, Clint, I've never seen you fight," Tony said, looking up from the computer. "Spar, yeah, I've seen that on the cameras from the Tower, but never seen you fight before. Why is that?"

"Nick doesn't want anyone to see it," Barton said. "You think Nat's deadly. You haven't seen deadly until you see me fight, Tony, and I really don't want you at this thing tomorrow. I don't want you to be afraid of me."

"Hey, I know that you are never going to hurt me," Tony said. "I've been watching you beat yourself up over this fight with Natasha since you found out there was something wrong, and you don't want to do this. You don't want to go in there and intentionally try to hurt your best friend. It doesn't matter what you do in that room, you're doing it because it's your duty, not because you want to, and that makes all the difference. I will never be afraid of you, Clint. It doesn't matter what I see, I will never fear you. If anything, it'll probably make me feel safer because I'll have proof that you can take care of yourself and protect me and Phil."

"If you think that Phil can't fight, let me tell you what he did with a bag of flour against two men armed with shotguns," Barton said with a snort. "Both of them pointing at him, I might add."


	66. Chapter 66

"Okay, you may have just fried my brain for good," Tony said, looking at Clint. "What the hell are you wearing?"

"I'll second that question," Coulson said.

Barton sighed. "It's a new sparring suit that R&D came up with for me," he said. "Nick wants me to wear it today because there's no way parts of it can come off and be turned into weapons. Nat's going to be in something similar."

"Clint, you are encased in spandex," Tony said, walking around him a few times. "I mean, I've seen you naked, I know you have a nice body, but wow. This just accents everything that much more. I'm feeling warm and I know for a fact it's not hot in here. This is, this is obscene."

"Glad you approve, Tony, because you guys get to help me out of it after the fight," Barton said. "The only parts of me exposed are my hands, feet and head. I'm not happy about that part, but they said a hood would bulk too much around the neck."

Coulson tried to pinch at the material and found that he couldn't. "Cut and puncture proof, I'm guessing," he said. "The sweep of the room is done, Clint. Nick will bring Natasha up in half an hour. He wanted to give you time to warm up first. Are you guys sure you want Tony in the corner in the suit?"

"He's my back-up plan," Barton sighed. "I do have to admit I feel for whoever gets to search Nat for hidden weapons. Tony, you're sure there's no chance of cameras in this room."

"I'll be jamming everything for three rooms in all directions," Tony said. "I know you want to keep your fighting ability a secret. There won't be any way to record what's going on in the room. Fury didn't like that condition, but he agreed."

"We need Natasha more than we need video of this fight," Coulson said. "All right, you two go on and let Clint warm up. I'll be behind the glass with Nick, and it'll just be the two of us, Clint. You know Nick wouldn't do anything to hurt you."

Barton nodded. "Yeah, I know," he said.  
****

Barton was stretched and leaning up against the wall when Natasha walked in. "Hey Nat," he said.

"Clint, what's going on?" she asked.

"You've been acting weird, Nat, and there's magic in you," Barton replied, letting his arms hang loose at his sides. "Just like there was in me when Loki had me in his grasp. Thor got most of it out, but Director Fury wants to be sure and there's only one person in this place that's good enough to go up against you and not have to spend time in medical for months."

"We're going to spar?"

"Nope, we're going to fight, Nat," he said. "No weapons, just us and our skills." 

"Then why is Iron Man in here?"

Barton grinned and pushed off the wall, going to give the armor a fond pat. "He's here to make sure you don't kill me," he said. "Come on, Nat. Don't make me insult you to get this started. I've been dreading it for weeks now. Let's just get this over with, give you a nice hard hit on the head and everything will be fine again."

"You'd like for it to be that easy, wouldn't you?" she asked, moving opposite him. "You know that no insults about my father would get me to fight."

"Yeah, but I do know what would make you fight, and I'd rather not have you furious with me when we're just starting out," Barton replied. "I don't want to hurt you, Nat. You know how much I hold back when we spar. Which one of us is really the better fighter in here? If it came down to that question, who is better?"

"You are, but only because you won't teach me your tricks," she said. "I taught you some of mine."

Barton sighed and moved in quickly, aiming a loose punch at Natasha's head, which she dodged easily and flipped him. Barton moved with it and landed on his feet, pulling her off balance and getting an elbow hit to her ribs in the process. "You were taught to kill, Nat," he said. "You were taught to fight to the death, until you were the only one left standing. I learned to fight to live. That's the difference. It's also what you'll never be able to understand."

"I understand that leaving an opponent alive at the end of the fight is a sign of weakness," she said. Natasha kicked at Barton's legs, trying to take him down. He jumped easily and caught the return kick. 

"No, it's not. That's something you learned from me, Nat," Barton said. "You also would have let me do whatever I wanted, long as I had a good reason. This is all just proof that the magic rewrote you, Nat. You've been taken apart again and you don't trust me enough to help put you back together."

The fight turned serious. Tony, watching from inside the suit, was hard-pressed to tell what all was going on between the pair. He could fight, he boxed and studied martial arts as a challenge, but he'd never seen anything on the level in front of him at that moment. Barton was in work mode, expressionless and hard, ready to do whatever it was he had to do to complete his assignment. Tony could see why his partner was scared to let him see the fight. It Tony didn't know how gentle Barton was, if he didn't know the man behind the mask in front of him, then Tony would be scared to death. Part of him had known that Barton was ranked where he was for a reason, but he hadn't realized exactly what it meant. The man he saw in front of him, he was a cold assassin, and Tony realized that seeing information on paper was misleading. On paper, Natasha was listed as the more deadly of the pair. On paper, Barton was able to hide.

He was just getting ready to step in, when the fight had been going for an hour, when Barton landed a lucky hit to Natasha's ribs that forced her down. Barton took the chance and grabbed her, slamming her head into the metal pipe. Then he stepped back and bent over, breathing heavily. "Tony," he gasped.

"Vital signs are stable," Tony said. "She's out cold."

"Okay, Phil, take her back to medical," Barton said, panting. "I hope this worked."

Fury appeared in the doorway. "You're going to medical too, Hawk," he said. "Let's get you cleaned up and taken care of."

Barton nodded. "Okay, Nick," he managed.


	67. Chapter 67

"When I'm doing better, would you wear this again?" Tony asked as he helped work the spandex bodysuit off Barton. "Seriously, I think that taking the time to peel this off you would be awesome and lead to some great sex."

Barton grinned. "I'd accuse you of having a one track mind there, Tony, but I think that Phil agrees with you," he said. 

"Clint, this is obscene," Coulson said. "How the hell did you get into it on your own in the first place?"

"It took a while," Barton said. "Ouch, bruised."

"Sorry." Coulson kissed the spot and kept peeling back the fabric. "Did she get in any sound hits, Clint? Is there anything broken?"

"Nah, I'm fine, just bruised and sore," Barton said. "Nat wasn't holding back, but she wasn't hitting at full force either. I dunno, Phil, maybe something I said got through to her, or her body remembers sparring with me and something in her knew she wasn't going to maim. Has she woken up yet?"

"Not yet, but her vitals are holding stable," Coulson said. "Okay, shower. We'll be here waiting for you."

"Be right back."

Tony sat down on the bed, suit in his hands. "This is amazing stuff," he said. "When did SHIELD come up with it and why?"

"I don't know, but I'm planning to find out," Coulson said. "If Clint and Natasha's field suits could be made of something similar, then it would decrease their chance of injury in the field by quite a lot."

"There's a number of applications it could be used for, for the whole team," Tony said. "Even, well, even Rogers."

"It's going to take time, Tony," Coulson said softly. "You're doing good, you know that. We're here if you need to talk about anything. We mean it when we say anything, you know that."

"Yeah, I know," Tony said with a small smile. "It's just so hard to wrap my mind around everything, you know. Clint told me the numbers. If he was out for revenge, then he really went overboard."

Coulson sighed. "I don't think all the attacks were about revenge," he said. "This is my opinion, I haven't had a chance to visit and talk with him again, but I think that only the first few times were for revenge. When he realized the power he had over people, that spoke to something deep down inside him and the other attacks were about that power. He wanted to prove, probably to himself, that he had power over people, which was something he'd never had before. It started out as revenge for the beatings he took as a boy and morphed into a quest for power over people."

"Which they just covered up," Tony said. "That might be the part I'm having the hardest time with. I mean, yeah, I didn't want to tell anyone what happened to me, but at the same time, when it came down to it, I couldn't keep it hidden."

"Which is why he's so fixated and angry at you, Tony. You took that power away from him, probably the first person to do so, and he doesn't know how to handle the resulting emotions from that," Coulson said. "Nick and I are working on ways to bring him out safely to join the team in battle, ways to keep you safe. Clint is going to be your main safety net. Are you comfortable with that?"

"Of course, I know that Hawkeye sees everything," Tony said. "I'll just make it a point to stay out of shield throwing range and know that Clint is watching over me. Like he is right now."

"Busted." Barton came over, kissed the top of Tony's head and moved to get dressed. "Where's the doctor, Phil?"

"They trust me to check you over," Coulson said, standing up. "Because they know if you even wince wrong, I'll call them in here for a better check. Stand still, Clint."

Barton sighed. "There is nothing less romantic than having your lover play doctor when he's seriously being a doctor."

"And you say I have a one-track mind," Tony grinned.


	68. Chapter 68

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, guys, I'm getting to a point where I'm thinking this one might be ready to be wrapped up. Here's my question to you: apart from possible sex scenes, what do you think still needs to be addressed? I'm going to reread the whole story and make notes, but it's always possible I'll miss something. Leave me a comment with what you still want to know/loose ends you want to see tied up/info I haven't addressed yet.
> 
> Thanks =^.^=

"Hawk, come take a walk with me."

Barton pulled on his black SHIELD uniform jacket and followed Fury out into the hall. "Has she woken up, Nick?" he asked softly.

"Not yet, but the doctors think she will in an hour or so," Fury replied. "I wanted to talk to you about safety for the team during battle. That's our next concern, now that we have ANNIE and JUNIOR in the system along with JARVIS, even if Tony seems to think I don't know he's still there, and final tests are going on the new material for buildings. I want to make sure we have a sound plan, just the two of us, to take care of the threat should the need arise. I wouldn't ask this of you if I didn't think you could do it, Hawk."

"I know. I think we need to assess what risks we're willing to run allowing the mark out into battle, Nick," Barton said. "Phil and I both believe that focus will be on Iron Man and not the general public, at least at first." He waited until the door to Fury's office was shut before he spoke plainly. "I see that SHIELD go anywhere near Tony, I'm shooting it and taking Rogers down, Sir. I won't kill, but he will be hurting."

"Given the enhancements, he'll heal from that readily enough," Fury said. He sat down behind his desk with a sigh. "Tony's safety is my main concern at this point, along with yours. I know you're going to be on a perch somewhere, but it's always possible he could get to you first and then go for Tony."

"We need to put a tracker on him that can be activated during battle, Nick," Barton said. "Something similar to what the field agents all have, but something that Phil will be able to track no matter what. That tracker could give me enough warning that he's moving."

"It's also something Tony could link into with the suit," Fury said. "That's easy enough to do. What else do we need to think about now?"

"Phil's going to handle press conferences for the first few battles, I'll be out of sight but close by," Barton said. "I need to talk to Tony about making a suit model that only JARVIS and the helpers can get him out of. With Rogers' strength, if Tony goes down for any reason, he could peel the current suits off him. I don't think there's a way to make the suit EMP-resistant, but I can ask about that too. The suit is going to be Tony's only security in battle, I want to make sure it's up to anything that's thrown at him."

Fury nodded. "All of the focus is on Tony, which I agree with right now, but I think that Rogers is going to have time to brood and plan, Hawk. I think it's possible he's going to be going for blood eventually and I don't want you hurt," he said. "Think long-term with these plans. We need contingencies for you, Phil, Tony, Bruce, and Natasha. Hell, probably even for me, but I'll shoot the bastard if he shows up on my boat uninvited. You and Phil, you start thinking about this. I want to see something in two weeks, Hawk."

"We'll get them for you, Nick," Barton said.  
****

Natasha groaned and opened her eyes. "Coulson?" she asked, blinking a few times.

"Welcome back, Natasha, what's the last thing you remember?"

"Really remember, Thor working with Steve at the Tower," Natasha said. "I remember other stuff, but it's more like when I was young, before I joined SHIELD. What happened?"

"Some of the magic got loose and got into your head," Coulson said. "Barton brought you back, just like you did for him when Loki was playing puppet master. He wanted to be here when you woke up, but Director Fury called him into a meeting. You've got some tests to go through. We want to make sure the magic is gone."

"It is," Natasha said. "The glow at the edge of my vision is gone. That's three times this has worked, Sir. I think we need to suggest this be an official medical procedure for SHIELD."

Coulson smiled. "I'll suggest it to Director Fury," he said. "You're safe now, Natasha. Barton will be here to see you in a bit, just as soon as Director Fury is finished with him."

She managed a smile. "Depending on what's happening, that could be hours," she said. "Wake me when he gets here."


	69. Chapter 69

"Phil?"

"She's fine, all tests are negative and Thor says all the magic is gone," Coulson replied. "We might have to talk with her about some things that happened, but Natasha is officially cured."

Barton sagged down against the wall in relief. "Thank, well, thank Thor," he said with a weak grin. "I was really worried this wasn't going to work and then we'd have to do something even more extreme to her. Is she awake?"

"She was after the last test," Coulson said. "Tony's in with her. I think they're talking about what it's like to be attacked, to not have control over a situation. It's honestly not something I ever thought I'd see Natasha open up about, but they're doing fine."

"I'll give them a minute then," Barton said. "Director Fury gave me a list of things he wants us to take care of, Sir, within a two week window."

"Anything impossible this time around?" Coulson asked.

"No, Sir, but nothing we can talk about in the hall at medical," Barton replied. "It's all linked back to the issue you've been working on for the Director."

"All right, we'll talk when we're alone then," Coulson said. "I've been thinking about making another trip down there. There's someone I think maybe could help him out that I want to take."

"If it's who I think it is, Sir, that's evil."

Coulson raised an eyebrow, about as close to a smile as he would allow himself in public. "This surprises you why, Agent Barton?" he asked.

"Not surprised, Sir, just commenting," Barton said.

The door off to the side opened and Tony poked his head out. "Natasha says get in here or she's coming out to finish what you started, Barton," he said.

"She would, too," Barton said. He pushed off the wall and walked into the medical bay they had Natasha in. "Hey, Nat."

"Clint. Thank you. You were right, there is no one else here that could have helped me," Natasha said. "I think maybe I've learned my lesson. No more getting close to magic for any reason."

"I think everyone has learned their lesson about magic this time around," Barton grinned. "I hear they gave you a clean bill of health, Nat. Does that mean you get to come home with us?"

"It does," Natasha said with a small smile. "I like the sound of that. Home. Before all of this, I don't think I realized exactly what home means. I'm learning."

Tony looked up from his ever-present tablet. "Home is where the food is, Natasha," he said. "JARVIS is ordering in all of our favorites, Bruce is waiting for us. I say we go celebrate the return of our ridiculously scary assassin to the fold. What does everyone else think about that?"

"Works for me," Barton grinned. "Phil?"

"Why not?" Coulson asked with a smile. "I think we have a lot of things to celebrate tonight."  
****

Later that night, Barton tracked Natasha down on the larger balcony and sat down next to her. "Want to talk about it?"

"Not yet," she said. "Knowing there was something else in my mind, helping to control me. It's not the first time, but it's shaken me. I know I'll be okay, but it's hard to remember at every second."

"When that weird glow goes away, it's like the world snaps back into focus," Barton said. "Then you realize you're alone in your head and you wonder what the hell the other presence was, and what it was doing."

"Exactly. How did you get past it?"

"We went into battle pretty quick after you brought me back, it helped," Barton grinned. "Go to the base and spar with the special forces. They need to be taken down a peg or two again. I'd go against you, but I'm still too sore."

She nodded. "I'll think about it."

"Nat, don't brood on it. The magic is gone, it's not coming back, but you can't think about what happened too closely," Barton said. "Talk with me or Phil if you need to work through something, but don't hold this all in your head. There's a risk you could drive yourself crazy."

"How do you know this?" Natasha asked.

"Thor caught up with me after the battle, before we ate," Barton replied. "He gave me some good advice that I won't repeat word for word because there's way too many thous and thuses in it, but it's pretty much what I just told you. Hell, you could talk with him about it. It was his magic, it's possible he might have some advice just for you on it."

"I'll do that," she said, standing up. "Come on, I heard Tony talking about dessert and I don't want to miss out on that."


	70. Chapter 70

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the small break. I've started drafting a new novel and it's taking up most of my focus. I also had to work out exactly how I was going to bring this chapter about. I hope you guys like it.

Fury looked up when Coulson walked onto the bridge. "I thought you were handling a few things with Barton for me."

"You don't want me to answer that one in public, Sir," Coulson said. "I had a thought lat night that I wanted to run past you, Director. Regarding the case file you've had me working with for the past month or so."

"All right, my office," Fury said.

Coulson followed behind the Director, noticing, as he always did, how people battled to keep from plastering themselves against walls when Fury walked past. It amused Coulson to no end, especially as he knew that Fury had a softer side. Especially for a certain Hawk they both liked having around. He closed the door to the office behind them and stood in front of Fury's desk. "It seems to me, Nick, that until we can get it through Rogers' head that his power trip is over and he needs to be a good boy in prison, we're going to be at risk for letting him out to join the other Avengers in battle," he said. "You asked Clint and me to come up with contingencies. I don't know that it's possible to think of every single thing that could possibly go wrong during a battle, no matter how hard we work at it. Tony is hard at work on a new suit design that can't come off without robotic help and Barton is polishing his arrow tips."

"I wish I could think you were kidding about that," Fury said. "I hope he's a little more careful with the exploding ones than he was last time. We still have a hole in the wall of that room in the barracks. No one wants to sleep there, so I haven't bothered repairing it."

"He'll be careful, Sir, and even if he isn't, Dummy is close by with the fire extinguisher," Coulson said. "I thought of someone we could ask for help."

Fury studied Coulson for a long moment. "That's cold, Phil," he finally said.

"Can you think of anyone better, Nick?"

"No, and I don't know why I didn't think of it myself," Fury said. "You've been in contact?"

"I have and it's a go with your approval."

"All right, we sure as hell don't have anything to lose," Fury said. "Let's see if maybe there's a shred of shame in Steve Rogers that we can turn into something larger."

Coulson nodded. "Yes, Sir."

"If this doesn't work, Phil, I still want those reports on my desk under deadline."

"You'll have them," Coulson said.  
****

The prison for Rogers wasn't bad, for a cell. He had enough space to move around, four rooms, which was more than Coulson thought he deserved for his crimes. However, he understood the political game Fury was having to play, and didn't say anything. He signed in and sat down on the other side of the glass. "Settling in, Rogers?" he asked.

"I'm still not sure how you expect to hold me here forever," Rogers said. "This is a violation of my rights, you know. All it would take is one word after battle and the public would be demanding my freedom."

"Which is why you won't be allowed to speak with anyone," Coulson said. "You're part of a military organization, Rogers, and you were tried by the Director and myself. Your actions, both during the war and in current day, indicate you are a danger to not only the Avengers, but the general public as well. You're on a power trip now, a monster than enjoys feeling the pain of others, and this is the safest place to keep you. It is far more than any other rapist would receive, you know."

"There wasn't a trial, you're just telling yourself that so you can sleep at night."

Coulson reached into his bag and pulled out his tablet. "Would you care to see the reports I found from back in the war, Rogers? Fifty people were paid money to keep their mouths shut after you raped them," he said. "Two of the men talked, you know. Their deaths were written off as friendly fire in battle. I don't know what sort of battle would lead to men having bullets in the backs of their heads in their beds, but the military was determined to keep you in the best light possible. The crimes covered up by those men astound me. I would have killed you and risked the backlash. You like power, Rogers, something you never had as a child, and it warped you. Pity no one picked up on that before they turned you into a man that could take power from others."

"They enjoyed it."

"Justification. I have one of your victims here with me, Rogers," Coulson said. "No, it's not Stark. He's busy working on new ways to help save the world. I thought long and hard about the best way to get through to you that you are a monster, and finally realized there was probably only one person left on the planet you would listen to. Imagine my shock when I found out that she was one of your victims, and she still stood by you to help win the war. She has more spirit than you ever will, no matter what lies you tell yourself."

"You didn't."

"I did," Coulson said. "She knows everything."

Rogers' eyes shifted to the door when it opened and an elderly woman walked in. Her hair was white and she had grown old, but her eyes still held the same sparkle they always had. He stepped back from the wall. "Peggy."


	71. Chapter 71

"Steve Rogers. The first time I saw you, you were a skinny kid fighting to play with the big boys," Peggy said as she walked into the room. "You had more spirit, more heart for what you were doing than anyone else in that boot camp and I remember thinking that you were the perfect man to become a super soldier. You're smart, you're dedicated to your country, and you didn't care what happened to you as long as you could keep innocent people safe. The perfect man made into a monster by the serum. I read the notes, saw everything that happened in the other trials, and there was enough good in you when you stepped into that chamber, it hid the darkness deeply enough that you survived with your brain mostly in tact."

"I'm the same as I ever was, Peggy," Rogers said, still backing away as she moved forward. He tripped over his bed and fell down on it. 

Peggy nodded and sat down in the chair Coulson brought over. "Yes, you are, which is why you're locked under a mountain, Steve, rather than leading a team to keep the world safe," she said. "I wish I knew what went wrong with the procedure. I wish I could blame it on the serum, but I don't know that I can. I think this darkness was always inside you, Steve, and when you were healthy, muscular and stronger than any man you met on the street, you realized what that really meant. You could finally take revenge for everything that happened to you before. Didn't you realize that those very things you were taking revenge for shaped you into the good man that led you to us in the first place, Steve?"

"Those things, as you call them, didn't shape me into anything, Peggy," Rogers said. "I was held down and raped by a group of five men twice my size when all I wanted was to get to the store and try to barter some medicine for my mother. They caught me with a loaf of bread she managed to bake and, when I wouldn't give it to them, attacked me. What was I supposed to do, just let something like that go?"

"I have," Peggy said. "It took me years to get over what you did to me, Steve. You may never have penetrated my body, but you raped my very soul that night. I had thought I could trust you and you let me down. Davy saved me from the Nazi patrol. You were too busy off on one of your power trips to even notice that you had left me in the road with a broken ankle and no way to escape. I dodged the camps that night, Steve. I probably dodged death, too, and when you went down into the ice, talking about taking me dancing, my skin crawled. I thought you were gone forever and I worked past what you did to me. I was finally able to forgive you for that. It wasn't easy, but I finally managed it and moved on with my life."

"Yeah, well good for you, it's not something I can forget," Rogers said. "They took more than the bread that night, they took my mother, my manhood, and everything else I had."

"Until you do manage to let go, you're going to be kept in the cell, if not executed, Steve," Peggy said. "Phil showed me the records, all the evidence against you. If you were anyone other than Steve Rogers, you would already be dead. I don't know if I would be able to morn you either. Whenever I think of you, I think of that little boy I saw working so hard to prove himself at boot camp. That was the real Steve Rogers, and he died in the chamber of the super soldier project. I don't know who it is that took his place, but it's not him. It was never him."

"My job is to protect the weak. To keep them safe from the bad guys," Rogers said. "Just like it was back in the war. Save the people and keep them alive so they can move forward when the fighting is done."

"You are one of the bad guys, Steve," Peggy sighed. "You've proved it again and again, every time you held a man or a woman down and forced yourself on them, you showed that you are no better than Hitler ever was. He raped countries, forced himself on the people of those nations. What he did on the large scale, you do in the small, and you're no different, Steve. Because of you, men lived in shame. They took suicide missions so they wouldn't have to live with the weight of a secret pushing down on them every second of every day. There's only two men I know of that were strong enough to stand up to you and take that power away from you again. Neil Bowers, one of the men you commanded, and Tony Stark. Neil died liberating one of the Concentration Camps, but he died so others could live. He has more honor than you do."

Rogers snorted. "Stark is hiding out in his Tower too scared of me to come out without his suit or his pet archer," he said. "That's not being strong, Peggy, that's hiding in fear of the truth."

"You never saw the press conference he held, did you?" Coulson asked softly from the side. "I think that's something we'll have to remedy, Rogers. Tony Stark is more of a man than you'll ever be."

"Phil is right, Steve. What you see as weakness, the world sees as strength," Peggy said. "You hid what happened to you, as you should have. The laws back then would have treated you the same as the men you named as your attackers, if not worse, and I hate you had to do that. But you should have found someone you trusted, someone like Bucky, and told him the truth. I think we've found the darkness that led you down this path, but until you can let it go and admit that you've become exactly like the men that held you down that night, you're either going to be here for the rest of your life, or you'll be put to death. I'll be coming for daily visits for a week or two. Director Fury wants me to talk with you about a lot of things. He doesn't believe it will do any good and I don't know what to believe, but Phil will be with me as well. You're not going to have another chance at me, Steve. I don't think you'd stop this time."


	72. Chapter 72

"Only you would bring cats into a Tower full of superheros," Natasha commented from where she was stretched out on her stomach on the floor. "Have you named the kittens, Clint?"

"Nope, just Penny," Barton replied. "I want to wait until the babies have a little personality on them to give them names. How are you guys holding up?"

Tony had his tablet next to him, but he was focused on the kittens. They were just learning to walk and there was something extra cute about how they were wobbling around near their mother. "I'm worried about Phil," he admitted. "I know the cell will hold. I know that he's physically safe, but there's emotions to work into this too. He hasn't said anything, at least around me, about losing his childhood idol. That has to hurt him a lot and if he's keeping all that secret then it could come back and hurt all of us later on."

"One thing about Phil, he's very good at compartmentalization," Barton said. He picked up the only solid black kitten carefully and started scratching her head gently. "When everything is okay again, then he'll start talking about how he's feeling. To Nick, most likely, at least at first. I've been watching him, Tony, and he's doing okay. He's packed away his collection though. I don't know what he's going to do with it, but I can tell he's thinking about it."

"Coulson has a mind like a trap," Natasha said. "The one you really need to worry about is whoever he is angry at. He doesn't show angry often. Frustration will leak through, especially if Clint is doing something stupid on an op, but that true anger, it doesn't show up often at all. It's one of the things that makes him such a good agent."

"He's got a point though, Nat," Barton said. "Especially given that Phil's off with Peggy for the weeks and will be working with Rogers for almost all of that. I'm going to have to have a talk with him when he's home again, make sure that everything is okay."

"You should bring him down here," Natasha said. She reached out a finger towards a silver striped kitten that had staggered over towards her. "I never realized how relaxing kittens are. It's soothing to be here with them."

"Maybe we should give one to Fury then," Tony said. "That solid black one would blend in with his jacket really well."

Barton laughed. "Nick's allergic," he said. "Not that he would ever tell anyone, but sometimes just hearing the word cat can make him sneeze. He likes dogs though. He had a German Shepherd when I first met him."

"I didn't know about that," Natasha said. "What happened to it?"

"Old age," Barton said. "Gets all of us in the end. That dog though, she was a better handler than some of our humans now. Nick used her to keep me out of trouble when he or Phil weren't able to work with me."

"Do you think he'd want another dog?" Tony asked. "I mean, it sounds like that one was a good friend to him. It can take time to get used to losing pets, or so I've been told. I wasn't even allowed a goldfish as a kid."

"The more I hear about your father, the more I want to give him a good kick," Barton grumbled. "As to the dog, I don't think so. Nick's busier now than he was and he doesn't have the time to train another puppy to his standards. I think we'll leave that one alone for a while, Tony."

"All right," Tony said. He froze when one of the black and white kittens bumped into him.

Barton crawled over and picked the kitten up. "Like this," he said, putting him in Tony's hand. "Hold him over your lap and use both hands so he doesn't fall out. They need to get used to being held, Tony. You won't hurt him."

"They're just so small," Tony said.

"Trust me, they'll be full grown before we know it," Barton said. "Enjoy them being small while you can. They don't have quite so much attitude now."


	73. Chapter 73

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note that I love polka. I'm friends with "The Cowpolka King" and a founding member of his fan club. It's just that there's a large segment of the population that doesn't like polka and I think Tony would use that to his advantage.

"Sir, there are reporters outside the Tower," JARVIS said over the earpiece Barton was wearing.

Barton woke up with a jolt. "What time is it?" he asked, checking on Tony automatically. The genius was still asleep next to him, one arm over Barton's chest.

"0600, Sir," JARVIS said. "Sir, they wish to speak with Mr. Stark about his attack. I have been monitoring their conversation and they know who it is that attacked him. They want answers."

"Shit," Barton said. "Tell them no comment at this time and to leave before you unleash the special protocols on them. I need to talk with Tony, Phil and Nick about this, JARVIS. There's no way in hell we're wading into a madhouse press conference."

"Understood, Sir."

"The special protocols are set to polka music," Tony muttered, holding on tighter. "It was the nastiest thing I could think of."

Barton grinned. "There's also the sprinkler system, Tony," he said. "I know it's early for you, but we need to have a meeting about this as soon as we can, Tony. This isn't something we need spread all over the place."

"I know," Tony said. "JARVIS, hook us in to Agent and Nick. I'm not getting out of my warm bed for this. If they don't like it, tough. My choice."

"Always your choice, Tony," Barton said, kissing the top of his head. "I, however, need to at least be sitting up for this. Morning, Phil. Come on, Tony, let me up and you can use my lap as a pillow."

"What's going on, Clint?" Coulson asked.

"That's what I'd like to know," Fury added, joining the conference. "I don't like getting bad news before I've had my coffee. What the hell is going on?"

Barton took a deep breath. "JARVIS woke me to tell me that we had a flock of reporters outside the Tower, Sir," he said, falling into agent mode. "From monitoring their conversation, they know that Rogers in the one that attacked Tony and they're looking for either more dirt, confirmation, or a scandal. I wasn't going to give them anything until I had the official position of SHIELD on the incident."

"How the hell did they find out?" Fury asked. "Rogers is locked in our top-secret facility with agents and security personally picked by me for their abilities to keep their mouths shut."

"Money can open a lot of doors, Nick," Barton said. "It's possible someone saw something and realized how much it would be worth to the right person."

"I hate this," Fury said. "Time to do some damage control. Tony, it's up to you if you want to talk with the press or not, but know that I will not order you to."

Tony looked over. "I'll tape a statement for you, Nick," he said. "I can't go in front of them again, not after what happened last time. They can send questions via my office and, if I feel it needs to be answered, then I will. Let them chalk it up to me being eccentric again. Won't be the first time it's happened."

"Tony, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to," Coulson said.

"Yeah, I do. This isn't something I can stay silent on because they'll just turn it into something bigger than it is," Tony said. "Let's help keep the memories of the people who suffered before me as they are now. I don't want reporters digging around for more dirt. I'm going to need a hot shower when this is over with, and I'll be shaking the whole time, but I'll do it. You'll have the tape in an hour, Nick."

"You continue to amaze me with your personal strength, Tony," Fury said. "Thank you. Not just from me, but from every single person Rogers ever attacked. You are their spokesperson now."

"I'll do my best to honor them," Tony said softly.  
****

Tony showered and dressed like he was going to work in the lab. "This time they see the real me," he commented to Barton as the pair made their way down to the lab. "In my home and what I'm working on."

"I'll be close," Barton said. "JARVIS, make sure I'm never in shot, okay?"

"Of course, Clint," JARVIS said. "Mr. Stark, Sir, I am ready to begin filming."

"Okay, here we go," Tony said. He picked up a screwdriver and went to the fabrication units. "I understand that I had visitors this morning. I apologize for not asking you all in, but I don't like surprise visits. They make me jumpy. It seems that the name of my rapist has been released to the public and the media seems to think I owe them a comment. You know, I used to love being in the spotlight, all that attention, but after the Battle of Manhattan, when I joined my fellow Avengers to protect the planet from an alien threat, I realized that there was something more important than that attention. See this here? This a panel of a material that I've developed for our nation's military. With help from them along with my fellow Avengers, we have put this through every type of test I can think of, and a few that they came up with on the spot. It's knife, bullet, bomb, and Hulk-proof. The military is being supplied with panels as quickly as we can make them, along with fasteners to build command structures, bunkers, and anything else they need in the parts of the world where war is still being fought. I can't stop war, even I don't have that sort of power, but I can help keep people safe. Hell, probably even safe from weapons I designed before I realized that it was the wrong thing to be doing. All the money from the government contracts on this material goes to a new foundation Stark Industries has set up to help victims of rape across the country. One day, I hope to be able to make it around the world, but we have to start somewhere, and this is a topic very near my heart right now."

He crossed over to his desk and sat down. "To answer the next obvious question, no, it was not Captain America that raped me," he said. "There's a man inside the suit and his name is Steve. He was my friend, I thought, my team leader, and one I admired for being able to keep his cool while facing the most difficult, impossible situations. There was no indication before he attacked me here, in my lab, that he would be capable of something so horrible. You all saw how badly I was shaking at the last press conference. This time is no different. Even knowing that Steve is behind bars, it's still hard to feel safe. If someone I trusted so much attacked me, how do I know that I can read strangers and still be safe? I'm not going to become a recluse, but I've thought about it. Going through each day is hard. I know there are those that are doubting my words, but no, I will not release the video of my attack. Yes, there is video of the attack and it was evidence in the trial. It's possible that Steve has claimed there was no trial, but the military organization with which we work tried him and found him guilty of the assault. They set his punishment, and I have to say that it's better than most rapist get."

Tony looked down at his hands and sighed. "Talking about this is hard," he admitted. "It's like being violated again and again every time someone asks me about it. This is where the system really fails people. I don't know how we change it though. I could push for new laws, use my money and my influence to try and get them put into place, but then what? How do we make sure those laws are really enforced? I stand by what I said before. If you are attacked, go to the hospital. If you are attacked and raped, get there and get all the tests done immediately. Do not shower. Do not change your clothes. I know." He looked up at the camera. "I know exactly how dirty you feel. How much you want to get their touch, their scent off you, but the police need that evidence from your body to help prosecute the one that attacked you. The hospital will have information on where you can go to get more help. People you can talk with. Groups to help you come to terms as best you can with what's happened to you. The SI Foundation is unnamed at this time, but we are funneling resources into major cities. Take the help offered you. There will be embarrassment. You will feel shame, disgust; you will question yourself. That's all normal and you have every right to feel every emotion that is running through your body. You also have the right to never feel safe again, but in time, you'll find that your friends are helping. I've been lucky to have two very good friends at my side since my attack and they help whenever I'm feeling scared, unsure, dirty, even scared to sleep at night. Find that person for yourself. They're out there. It will be the hardest thing you have ever done in your life, but you can survive this."

"For the reporters watching this video, questions can be submitted to my business office," Tony continued. "I will answer or not as I see fit. This is a personal matter and the only reason I continue to make statements is because I hope that I can help one person survive. This isn't about me. This isn't about Steve. This is about power and survival." He paused for a minute. "All right, J, made a note to include as many helpline numbers as possible on the bottom of that, edit and send it on up to Nick. Let's see what the media makes of that."


	74. Chapter 74

"Agent Coulson, Sir, I have identified the source of the information on Mr. Stark's attacker," JARVIS said. "It was not an agent of SHIELD this time. It would seem that Director Fury was correct in his assertion that this facility is secure."

"Not secure enough, JARVIS, not if this was able to get out of here," Coulson replied. "Who was it?"

"It was Captain Rogers himself, Sir," JARVIS said.

Coulson blinked a couple of times and leaned back in his desk chair. "How is that possible, JARVIS? Rogers has no phone, computer, tablet or electronic device that would allow him contact with the outside world," he said. "We gave him a TV and DVD player, but nothing that would be able to send out a signal."

"Yet it seems he did," JARVIS said. "The transmission definitely came from within his cell, and no one is allowed in there."

"Great, so we've got a mystery on how he's talking to people," Coulson said with a sigh. "Let's knock him out, JARVIS, and I'll go in and secure him. Then I'm going to tear that apartment apart to figure out how he managed to hurt Tony again."

"Very good, Sir," JARVIS said.  
****

When Rogers woke up, he found he was secured to the wall with chains that were rated for the Hulk and no memory of how he got there. "What the hell did you do to me?" he asked.

"Your advanced metabolism makes it impossible to knock you out for long periods of time," Coulson replied. He was sitting at the desk, holding a cell phone in his hands. "So we developed a gas that will knock you out for ten minutes, which is long enough to get you secured if we need to come into your cell for any reason." He held up the phone. "Where did you get this?"

"It was in here when I arrived," Rogers said.

"No, it wasn't. I know it wasn't because I searched the cell personally before I let them turn you lose in here, Rogers," Coulson said. "JARVIS tracked the call to the media naming Tony's attacker. Your plot backfired again, you know. Yes, you hurt Tony, but you didn't cause a set-back in his recovery. You shook the foundation, but you didn't cause any cracks. The only thing you did was blacken your own name, Rogers. We were trying to protect you, but your arrogance showed through yet again. You may as well accept it, you don't have any power over Tony Stark and you never will. He's a stronger man than you ever will be."

Rogers pulled against the chains. "You don't know what you're talking about," he snarled.

"Don't I?" Coulson put the phone on the table and stood, taking out a box. "Do you know what this is, Rogers? This is my newest tazer. It has enough volts running through it to knock the Hulk back, should I need to. I wonder what it would do to you."

"That's torture."

"It is, isn't it?" Coulson asked with a smile. "You think that I'm not capable of torturing you, Rogers? Did you think that I'm just a suit in the organization. You really bought into that act?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm Fury's right hand. Hill helps to run SHIELD on a day-to-day basis, but I'm the one that Fury goes to when he needs something done," Coulson said. "You heard him call me his one good eye. You didn't wonder why he calls me that? It's not because I'm good at paperwork."

"I'll kick you if you get too close to me," Rogers said, starting to sweat a little.

"We have leg chains too," Coulson said, stepping closer. He shook his head and put the box away. "That, Rogers, is what it means to take power away from someone. It's not about holding them down and forcing yourself on them, although the parallels are not lost on me here. You don't know what real torture is, and pray that you never do. I'm going to find out who gave you that phone, Rogers, and then I'll be back to ask you some questions that you might not like. The chains will release ten minutes after the door is sealed again."


	75. Chapter 75

Barton helped Tony in the shower again, pulling out his special brush kit, and spending the time needed to help Tony feel at least a little cleaner after his statement that morning. Then they had breakfast, and Tony settled down for a nap, his head in Barton's lap.

"Clint, the business office is starting to route questions over for Mr. Stark," JARVIS said via the earpiece. "Would you like them directed to your tablet so you can screen them for Mr. Stark?"

"Please," Barton said softly. "The office doesn't have time to sort them and I don't want Tony any more upset than he already is."

"Agent Coulson wishes me to tell you he found the source of the leak," JARVIS said. "Captain Rogers managed to secure a cell phone prior to being contained and made the call himself. Agent Coulson is working to find out who gave Rogers the cell phone, or how he happened to come by it, but the base is secure."

"Good," Barton said. He settled his tablet on the arm of the sofa and started through the questions. Any asking for details about the attack he deleted after making note of the name and agency involved. Those would be getting a nasty note on propriety after sexual assaults. There were several asking for details of the new foundation, wondering how money could be requested for smaller organizations. Those Barton passed on to Merry, the woman heading up the new foundation. Her office would take care of evaluation and adding the groups to the list if they were legitimate. 

"What're you working on?" Tony asked about half an hour later, blinking slowly.

"Questions from the business office," Barton replied. "There's about ten here I think it would be good if you could answer. I've weeded out the worst of them for you."

"You didn't have to."

"Sure I did, it's what partners do for each other, Tony," Barton said. He put the tablet down and ran his fingers through Tony's hair. "If I was hurt on an op and Phil was busy doing something else, you'd help me with my paperwork, right?"

"Of course," Tony said.

"Then why can't I help you with this paperwork?" Barton asked. "Tony, trust me, you don't need to see every question coming through. There are some truly sick people in this world, and you do not need that added in on top of everything else."

Tony sighed. "Okay," he said. "I'm sorry, Clint. I guess I'm just too used to doing everything on my own."

"You wouldn't be Tony Stark if you weren't," Barton grinned. "More to the point, how do you feel?"

"Like I could use a hot soak," Tony said. "Those brushes of yours are murder on the skin, Clint, and they help. They really do, but I still don't feel clean."

"Hot tub?" Barton asked.

"Can we?"

"Of course we can. I'll bring the tablet along and you can start thinking about these questions if you want," Barton said. "It'll also let me keep weeding out the bad questions so there's not a back-log of data to deal with later on."

"It just seems like it's never going to end," Tony said. He settled his head a little more soundly in Barton's lap with a sigh. "Just when I think that maybe today will be the day that I will be able to get through a full twenty-four hours without thinking about the rape, or the aftermath, something happens that reminds me of it." He looked up at Barton. "When will it all be over, Clint?"

"I don't know, Tony," Barton said. "It can take years for some people. The only thing you need to remember is you're a survivor. You are a tower of strength that others are looking up to, and you have friends who love you and will do everything they can to help you get through each day. You have been fighting constantly, Tony. That, more than anything, shows the world that you are a survivor."

Tony nodded. "Could we maybe go see the kittens on our way to the hot tub?" he asked.

"Sure," Barton replied with a soft smile.


	76. Chapter 76

"Sergeant Jacobs," Coulson said, shutting the door to the interrogation room behind him. "What is SHIELD's policy on reporting and replacing lost or damaged personal devices including, but not limited to, radios, ear pieces, cell phones and data tablets?"

"File a lost items report, fill our form 76-PDLD and report to the quartermaster for a new piece of equipment," Jacobs replied.

"Then why is it that we have your cell phone and there is no paperwork filed to show that it is missing?" Coulson asked. He set the phone down on the desk and stepped back. "You lost it four days ago, I find it hard to believe that you receive so few phone calls that you wouldn't have noticed it was gone."

"I thought it was at home," Jacobs said. "I'm on two week rotation to the base, Sir, and would have been able to check the day after tomorrow. My orders come to me from my base commander, the phone isn't something I use frequently so I didn't think anything of it when it was missing."

Coulson tilted his head to the side a little. "Rule 223 clearly states that all members of SHIELD must have all issued equipment on their person at all times while on duty at any SHIELD base around the world," he said. "So not only did you not fill out the proper paperwork, you broke Rule 223. Are there any other rules or regulations you've broken recently that you want to tell me about? It won't make this any easier, but being honest is always refreshing."

"Sir, I'm honestly not sure what the problem here is," Jacobs said. "My base commander knows the phone is missing. He told me I could check at home before doing the paperwork."

"He did?" Coulson pulled out a small notebook and made a note. "I'll have to look into that, Jacobs. Thank you for letting me know there's more than one issue here. I'm sure that Director Fury will be happy to know that the top-secret base he created personally and staffed with the people he considers his best is breaking regulations. I'll be sure to mention that in my report, along with suggestions regarding further postings." He tucked the notebook and pen away. "The problem, Sergeant, is that your phone was used by one Steve Rogers, a man who is in the most secure cell possible to keep him from contact with anyone, to contact the media and report information Director Fury wished to keep secret. Now, I don't know about you, but I think this is a problem."

Jacobs went pale. "I didn't give him my phone, Agent Coulson."

"Can you prove that, Sergeant?" Coulson asked. "I personally searched the cell before Captain Rogers was placed in there and the protections were engaged. There was no phone in that cell, but the prisoner was not searched because he had been unconscious in custody the whole time with his hands and feet fully restrained. Are you expecting me to believe that an unconscious, secure prisoner was able to steal your phone from your pocket while you were helping to transport him to his new cell and you did not realize this?"

"Yes, Sir."

"The video is being reviewed, Sergeant, by the best person for the job," Coulson said. "If it turns out that your phone was stolen from your pocket you will be guilty only of violation of two rules. On the other hand, should the review show you gave the phone, you will be assigned to help Specialist Barton with target practice."

"Uhm, Sir, I thought no one touched his arrows," Jacobs said, voice shaking a little.

"They don't. He needs a new moving target," Coulson said, just before he shut the door behind him.  
****

"Phil, I think you enjoy that a little too much," Fury commented when Coulson was back in his temporary office. "I always worry that one day someone is going to talk and they'll all realize you're not the bland paper-pusher you pretend to be."

"You hear the rumors like I do, Nick," Coulson replied. "What do you think?"

"I think that I need to send in my inspection team and make sure that base is following rules to the letter," Fury said. "Rogers isn't the only high-level prisoner I have on ice there, and I want to be sure that none of them can escape."

Coulson nodded. "I'm planning to lean on the base commander a little, Nick. I'll see what he tells me when I'm done," he said. 

"How's JARVIS doing with the video?" Fury asked.

"I will have my final report in two hours time, Director Fury," JARVIS said. "That should be plenty of time for Agent Coulson to put the correct levels of fear into the base commander and all agents stationed here."

Fury grinned. "JARVIS, the more I talk with you, the better I like you," he said. "You heard the AI, Phil. Go put the fear of Fury into the base and report back when you have some firm answers for me. I want to be sure that Rogers isn't going to be able to spring any more surprises on us."

"Yes, Sir," Coulson said.


	77. Chapter 77

"Sir, Agent Coulson is on the line," JARVIS said once Tony and Clint had reached the hot tub.

"Pipe it through," Tony replied. "Agent?"

"How are you doing, Tony?" Coulson asked.

"About as well as you're probably thinking," Tony said. "Clint's helping though."

Barton grinned. "We're in the hot tub, Phil," he said. "You're the only thing missing to make it perfect."

"I'll be home as soon as I can," Coulson said. "Fury has me running an investigation into a few violations at this base. It seems the base commander thought that being hand-picked by Fury gave him permission to make his own rules. I have helped him learn what it means to be hand-picked by Fury and he's now helping me with other inquiries I have into how Rogers got the phone."

"Seems like we're learning about a lot of problems in SHIELD, Phil," Barton said. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Probably, and you need to call Nick to talk with him about it," Coulson said. "On the more positive side, Clint, your reputation has grown larger than ever, and is being extremely helpful in my investigation here."

"Oh yeah, what did you tell them?" Barton asked.

"That you use living targets for practice," Coulson replied. "They didn't even think to ask if I was lying to them or not. I'm not sure how they got this idea, but even if I'm just now planting it, you know it will only help."

"It's a bit insulting they think I'd shoot at co-workers though," Barton said. "It's not like Tony doesn't make me the best moving targets available for practice."

"Those are easy," Tony said. "Seriously. I've been wondering if maybe I could create something a little more complicated for you, Clint. Something that would challenge you without risking people."

Barton ruffled Tony's hair, making it stick out even more than normal. "I'm sure you'll figure something out," he said. "Phil, anything else we can do to help you out?"

"No, I really just wanted to check in and hear your voices," Coulson admitted. "I miss you both and can't wait to be home again."

"We can't wait to have you home again," Barton said. "I'll give Nick a call and talk with him about a few things."

"I'm sure he'll let me know. Use the secure channel," Coulson said. "We need to be careful, Clint."

"I know. Love you."

"Love you both," Coulson said. "Take care of each other until I'm home again."

Tony glanced over at Barton. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to say it," he said.

"We understand," Barton said. "You feel what you feel and you don't have to say it before you're ready, Tony."

"So, what's this call to Nick all about?" Tony asked.

"The WSC," Barton sighed. "That nuke you took up into the portal, that was shot on their order and they weren't happy when it didn't blow. Phil and I both had the thought that there was something else in New York they were trying to get rid of, possibly the Avengers. They've never liked the idea of putting the team together."

"You two think they've got agents in SHIELD working to sabotage not only the Avengers, but Fury and SHIELD."

"It's logical," Barton sighed. "I'll talk with Nick later tonight, Tony. We'll get this figured out, I promise you that."


	78. Chapter 78

Barton wasn't expecting Fury to arrive at the Tower just before dinner. "Director."

"Nick," Fury said. "I'm here to talk business, but not until after we've eaten."

"All right," Barton said with a smile. "Nick, I think you probably should go back on your allergy meds if you're going to be coming to the Tower on any regular basis. We do our best to get rid of the cat hair before we leave my floor, but you know the dander can get everywhere no matter how careful we are."

"You're keeping them then?"

"The team really loves them," Barton said. "Especially Tony, although he won't admit to it. He asked if you'd like another dog, Nick. Even with how badly he's hurting, he's still thinking about others."

Fury sat down at the table with a sigh. "I've thought about it, Hawk," he said. "I just don't have the time to train a dog right now. Sergeant, I got him before I was deputy director. Not by much, but enough that I had the time to train him right before paperwork became my best friend. Now I've got an agency to wrangle and there's more problems popping up than there should be. Where is Tony?"

"Upstairs napping," Barton said. "Today really wore him out."

"I can only imagine. I had a tear in my eye when I watched that most recent video he did," Fury said. "I'll be honest, Hawk, I don't know how Tony's still going. Most men I know would have collapsed before this."

"Then Rogers wins," Tony said from the common area. "I fall apart, Nick, just not where anyone can see me."

"You are supposed to be asleep," Barton said. "Everything okay?"

Tony sat down at the table across from Fury and rubbed his face. "Couldn't sleep," he said. "I'm not sure if it was because I was alone or if I'm not as tired as I thought I was. Either way, it's almost dinner time, isn't it?"

"Yep, JARVIS, call Nat and Bruce for me, please," Barton said. He carried a salad bowl over to the table and set it down in the middle. "Nick, what would you like to drink?"

"Whatever the rest of you are having is fine," Fury said. "Tony, I don't know how to thank you for your newest invention. I heard from a couple of friends of mine over in the Middle East. They got the first shipment and put their new buildings up immediately. They were inside organizing the electronics when a bomb detonated against the wall. Shook them up a little, but everyone survived."

"Good, that's good," Tony said with a smile. "Thanks, Clint." He took the sparkling water and sipped it. "You put raspberry in here."

"Guilty," Barton said. "Nat, can you get the forks and napkins for me?"

"Of course. Director."

"Natasha," Fury said, nodding. 

"Oh, hey Director Fury," Bruce said as he joined the group. "Anything I can do to help, Clint?"

"Grab that other serving dish and we're good to go," Barton said. "I didn't make anything fancy, just stew and bread, but it's hot and filling."

"Your stew is amazing no matter what," Natasha said with a small smile. "Tony, I saw the video you recorded. The news station also had some numbers on people seeking out help. You're making an impact."

Tony sighed. "I just wish it hadn't happened," he said. "That everything was like it was before the attack. The team is shattered."

"The team is stronger than ever," Fury said. "I have a few options in mind to come in and replace Captain America if it should come to that. I think that it won't, that you'll be able to function as a team as you are, but I like to have options available to me."

"We're not letting Rogers out for battle, Nick?" Barton asked.

"Only in the most extreme circumstances until he can prove to me that he is not a danger to the general population," Fury said. "That is going to take a long time, so you need to figure a few things out before that."

"Who's going to be team leader?" Bruce asked.

"I'm still thinking about that," Fury replied. "We'll see how things play out. Now, after dinner, I need to talk with Barton privately. Tony, will you be okay for twenty four hours without either of your protectors here with you?"

"I, I don't know," Tony said softly. "I'll have Bruce and Natasha, right?"

"Glued to you if that's what you need," Natasha said. "We know how scary this is, Tony. You also have JARVIS and two very secure areas in the Tower. There will be no one to reach you here."

"I can try," Tony said.

Fury stared at him for a long moment. "I'll have Coulson on stand-by just in case," he finally said. "I wouldn't do this if it wasn't important, Tony."

"Yeah, I know," Tony said.  
****

"What's up, Nick?" Barton asked when they were alone. The pair had gone down into the depths of the building where JARVIS would be monitoring, but had promised not to repeat anything that was said to anyone.

"The WSC," Fury replied. "I know you and Phil are both concerned they have agents planted in SHIELD trying to undermine everything, including the Avengers. I want to find out how far this goes."

Barton nodded. "Time for me to go hunting, Nick?" he asked softly.

"Flush them out, Hawk."


	79. Chapter 79

"You going to be okay until Coulson gets back?" Barton asked as he was checking his gear.

"I'll have to be," Tony replied. He was sitting cross-legged on the bed watching Barton go over every piece of equipment he was taking with him. "I knew this day was coming, Clint. I knew, logically, that you wouldn't be able to stay with me forever, that you would have to go back to your duties at SHIELD, but I guess I hoped it wouldn't be so soon. This is what you meant though, isn't it? That you're so far off the grid. You're Fury's sniffer, aren't you?" 

"Thank you for not calling me a dog, Tony," Barton grinned.

"Nah, you're our Hawk," Tony said. "I can't even know where you're going or what you're doing, can I?"

Barton shook his head. "It's safer if you don't," he said. "Nat's going to sit with you down in the lab until Phil is home. There's going to be another day where we both have to be gone, Tony, but you'll be safe here in the Tower. Everyone will understand if you stay to your floor until we're back."

"I'll be alone if I do that, I don't know that I want to be alone with my thoughts," Tony admitted. "The lab isn't as safe as it used to be, but Natasha and Bruce can both be with me there if I need them to be. I'm still working on that new armor you suggested, so I'll be busy. You just be safe out there, Clint. This is a group that fired a nuke at New York with no thought to anyone living here. I don't want to think about what they would do to you if they caught you."

"They won't catch me," Barton said. He tucked his bow into its case and snapped it shut. "They won't even know I'm there, Tony. I'll find out what their play is and then I'll be home. Come here."

Tony moved into the open arms and pressed against Barton hard. "Call if you can?" he asked softly.

"Of course." 

"How is Phil coming home tomorrow?"

"He needs the Helicarrier computer. We know there's a problem at the base, but it's my problem now," Barton said. "Peggy has gone home for the time being. We've locked that base down until we're sure there's no problems."

"Rogers won't be able to get out, right?" Tony asked.

"He'll be dead before he touches you," Barton replied. "Tony, JARVIS is watching that cell closely. There is no way that he will let Rogers out, right?"

"I just don't like not knowing what's going on."

"I know you don't, and I'll do my best to get some answers we can share with you," Barton said. "Come on, let's go find Nat and then I need to head out. I'm meeting up with Phil at the base to ask one of the men stationed there a few questions, then I'll be off the grid. Nick will know where I am, but no one else will."

Tony pulled back and looked at Barton closely. "Be safe."

"I promise," Barton said. He kissed Tony's forehead softly. "I promise I'll be safe, Tony."


	80. Chapter 80

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I know I normally take Wednesday and Thursday off from updating because I'm not at work and I use my days off to work on my original pieces. However, today I received an extremely hateful email telling me to take a break and quit spamming the Clint/Coulson page with my works to give people who don't read my work a break, and to let others have a chance. I reported them to the AO3 team, but I'm an extremely contrary person. I'm updating straight through because I can.
> 
> I give huge hugs to all my readers. You all give me the energy to keep writing. Thank you all for your support. Know that no matter how sad I am from this email, I'm not quitting.

"Agent Adams, you were part of the escort group that brought Steve Rogers to the base," Coulson said, sitting down across from one of the agents stationed at the secret base. "Video review has shown you taking the phone of one of the men and slipping it into Rogers' pocket. Now then, I just want to know one thing before I turn you over to the Specialist that will be conducting the rest of this interrogation. Was it worth what you were paid to know you helped to destroy a man?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Adams said.

Coulson turned his tablet around. "This is the video footage. It has been reviewed by myself, a special expert, and Director Fury himself," he said. "Tell me that you do not see your hand slipping into the pocket of the man in front of you, or you placing the phone you took into Rogers' left pocket."

"The video has been altered."

"Has it." Coulson leaned back in his chair and sighed. "I did give you the chance to do this the easy way, Agent Adams. I'm afraid that I will no longer be able to help you."

Barton dropped down out of the ceiling. He was wearing a black tank top and black cargo pants. "Coulson."

"Specialist Barton," Coulson said. "Agent Adams is denying all charges against him. Maybe you would like to explain things to him in a way he will understand."

"I'd be happy to, Sir," Barton said, face totally blank. He pulled out a pair of restraints and a knife. "Agent Adams strikes me as an intelligent man. I think he'll work out that he needs to talk to us before too much longer."  
****

"That was extremely unpleasant," Barton commented a few hours later. He was in the shower washing off the blood from his interrogation. "I hope all the plants aren't so hard to crack, otherwise this is going to take me months."

"JARVIS has been working through bank accounts and we have a few leads for you," Coulson said. "How's Tony?"

"Scared. You need to get back to the Tower, Phil. He's the weak point right now and nothing is going to make him feel safe until one of us is there with him."

Coulson nodded. "Fury's going to be keeping track of you?" he asked.

"Yep. I don't know how long this will take me, Phil. I'm going to do my best to just sniff around and get information, but you know that Fury might order me to engage." Barton turned off the water and grabbed a towel. "If I feel safe enough doing it, I'll engage. You know Fury trusts my judgement on things like this."

"I do, and that's the only reason I'm not insisting Natasha goes with you," Coulson said.

"She's still in Fury's questionable column," Barton sighed. "Thanks. We know the magic is out of her and she's back to normal, but you also know how Fury is."

"I do. I give it four months and she'll be in the clear," Coulson said. He handed Barton a black polo shirt. "I forgot how hot you look in your interrogation gear, Clint. That was inspiring."

"I'll model it again for you when I'm home," Barton said. He bent down and kissed Coulson softly. "I'm in the wind, Phil. I love you. Tell Tony I love him too, will you?"

"You come back to us, Clint."

Barton grinned. "Always, Phil. You'll never be able to get rid of me," he said. "Fury will keep you in the loop. See you when I'm home again."

"Travel safe, Hawk."

"You too."


	81. Chapter 81

Bruce sat and watched Tony pace back and forth. Natasha was out in the hall standing guard over the lab. The vents in were secured by JARVIS. There was no way anyone would be able to get onto the floor without being in a world of hurt. "Tony, can you sit down for a second?" Bruce asked softly. "I know how hard this has to be for you, but wearing yourself out isn't the answer. What happens if you fall asleep and your partners aren't here for you?"

"I don't think I'll fall asleep again," Tony replied, still pacing. "Clint's gone black, meaning there's no way to know where he is or what he's doing. He could die on this op and I wouldn't even know about it. Phil's still at the top secret base and I don't know when he's going to be home. I just, I have too much energy in me to sit still right now. I can't think, I can't get my mind to focus on any one thing."

"Sir, if I may, you should at least attempt to eat something," JARVIS said. "You know that both Agents Coulson and Barton want you to take care of yourself."

"Can't eat when my stomach is in knots, J," Tony said. "This is my lab. My place. It's supposed to be my safe haven. The one place in the whole world where I can go and shut out the noise in my brain. Instead, unless I have certain people here, I feel like I'm trapped. JARVIS, we need to move the lab to a new floor. Somewhere completely different. Turn this one into scrap or something."

"Are you sure that's wise, Sir?" JARVIS asked. "It will mean a significant amount of time and labor when you already have a number of projects in hand here that require completion before the fabrication units could be broken down and moved."

"What else am I supposed to do?" Tony demanded. "I can't work here unless I have Phil or Clint in the room with me and they have other things they have to be doing. I know they can't be here to babysit me constantly and it's not fair of me to ask them to do that. They need to know that I will be okay when they're gone and right now I'm about as far from okay as it's possible to be."

The door hissed open and Coulson hurried in, moving to wrap Tony in a tight hug. "You're okay, I'm here," he said softly. "You did it, Tony. You survived on your own. I knew you would be able to do it."

Tony latched onto Coulson and started crying. Bruce left quietly, wanting to give the pair a chance to talk privately. He'd go and make a start on dinner, something special and light that Tony would be able to eat. Coulson nodded his thanks and moved Tony over to the sofa in the back of the room, still murmuring softly to him. "There you go, let it out, Tony," he said. "You're okay. It's okay."

"Sorry," Tony managed, trying to catch his breath.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Tony," Coulson said softly. "I don't care what you think it is, you never have to apologize to me for feeling that you need a hug or you need me here."

"Your suit," Tony said.

"Will wash," Coulson countered. "My suits have had worse than tears on them, Tony. Now, do you feel a little better?"

"Kinda."

Coulson moved them around and held Tony in a loose hug, not wanting to make the man feel like he was trapped. "This is the first time you've had both Clint and me gone when you weren't working on a project or up on the Helicarrier," he said. "I'm not surprised you had a rough morning, Tony. It's going to take time for you to feel safe in your home again. If you want to move the lab to another floor then move it. You know what you need, although I would wait until your latest projects have finished before you start."

"Yeah, I think this new suit will work out," Tony said. He rested his head on Coulson's shoulder with a sigh. "Clint was right, I need one that can't be opened by anyone other than me or JARVIS. I know it's risky if I get knocked out or hurt, but that's why I'm building in a redundant code for you to use."

"A back door into the suit?"

"Exactly. I'm trying for mobility, strength, speed and security all at the same time," Tony said. "It's just going to take me time and effort to get it right, but I know I can do it. Having the other suits around won't be a bad thing either. I can stash them around so I always have a back-up handy."

"That's a good idea," Coulson said. "You just have to be sure no one else knows they're there. I wouldn't want anyone to be able to stumble onto them."

"I'll make them look harmless and bland," Tony said with a yawn. "Totally bland. How's Clint?"

Coulson ran his fingers through Tony's hair. "In the wind. He has leads, but Director Fury will be the only one that knows where he is. Clint will be fine, Tony. You don't have to worry about him."

"You are."

"Good point. Okay, we'll worry together."

Tony smiled softly and curled up more tightly against Coulson. "Sounds good," he said. "Falling asleep."

"Sleep. I'll keep you safe."

"I know you will."


	82. Chapter 82

"Agent, I'm curious about something."

Coulson looked up from the report he was reading. Tony had slept for a couple of hours and then decided he wanted to work on his suit before dinner. "What's on your mind, Tony?" he asked.

"The WSC. I thought they were a governing body, but they've shown time and again they're more than that," Tony said. He put the wrench he had been working with down and spun around so he was facing Coulson. "They launched a nuke at New York. How did they manage to find a human being willing to do that, first of all, and who the hell gives them this much power?"

"That's a fair question, actually," Coulson said. "The United Nations granted them certain powers after the Second World War and, over time, they've managed to capture other powers until they're more of a spider in the center of a web than they are a council. They have always thought that they control SHIELD, no matter how many times Nick has stood up to them over decisions. The Phase Two was mostly their idea, although Nick did go along with it because he thought we needed better weapons for when the aliens invaded again."

Tony nodded. "With me out of the weapons business totally, he didn't have any other option," he said. "I'm not going back to it, Phil. I've enabled the killing of enough people in my life. It's time for me to help save lives."

"We know that, Tony, and we would never ask you to make us weapons," Coulson said. "Although I know you put some advanced ones on your suit, you're on the front line and often the target of the aliens that come to call. You have to be able to keep yourself safe and no one looks down on you for that. If they ever do, they'll have me to deal with."

"So the WSC, denied general access to SHIELD by our boss, decided that they needed spies and plants inside the organization," Tony said. "I suppose that makes sense, in a rather sick sort of way."

"Except for the part of their lovely charter that says they aren't allowed to do this," Coulson said. "They can spy on any bureau except for SHIELD because of the very nature of our charter. We're the spies and we handle the things that the regular government can't. It's a lot of politics and, after I told the head of the WSC to, well, let's just say they will never look at bananas the same way again, they've hated me."

"You didn't," Tony said, grin starting.

"I'm afraid I lost my temper with them," Coulson said, flushing red. "They were justifying their attempted nuclear strike against New York. I don't care what aliens are tearing the city apart, Tony. There is no justification to sending in a nuclear bomb. We could have been fighting out in the middle of the desert and I would feel the same way. Bombs do not solve anything."

Tony sighed. "It did solve our problem with the aliens."

"I still worry something worse is on its way, Tony. You did the only thing you could, and it was the right move for the time," Coulson said. "Don't ever think you made a mistake that day, because you didn't, but we never saw the leaders of that alien army. Loki was a patsy. A powerful one, yes, but still a patsy. I think the only thing that's stopped the aliens from showing back up is that Thor took the cube home with him. They know where we are and, after they take their revenge on Loki, it's possible they'll come here."

"It's always a no-win situation, isn't it?" Tony asked. "War, I mean. Nothing is ever solved and lots of people are hurt because of it. So what's Clint going to be doing while he's dark?"

"Gathering information on how many spies the WSC has worked into SHIELD, talking with a few of them if it's safe for him to do it, and reporting back to Nick," Coulson said. "Then Nick will decide if he wants to move against the WSC or if he wants to take other action."

"He won't know which until he has the information, right?"

"Right. We need more data before we can figure out the best plan of attack," Coulson said. "It means a lot of time in vents for Clint, and you know he loves that."

Tony couldn't help but smile. "He'll be the happiest Hawk in SHIELD," he said. "He'll be safe?"

"As safe as he can be, yes," Coulson said with a smile. "It is dangerous, but no more than any of his other ops. Nick will tell me when he hears something. We don't have to wait weeks for information on Clint, Tony. He'll be making regular reports and, even if all we hear is he's alive and safe, it'll be enough. Clint will be working hard to get back to us quickly because he misses us both."

"I'd rather wait and make sure he's safe and not making mistakes," Tony said.

"He'll be careful. Clint's done this before, Tony. He knows what he's doing. All we can do is wait, as hard as that is."


	83. Chapter 83

Fury didn't even blink when Barton appeared in his office two weeks later. "Hawk."

"Nick, I brought you a present," Barton said. "I think you'll like this one a lot more than that picture Nat and I brought you from Italy."

"Where is it?" Fury asked.

"Lower cells in medical, full guard," Barton said. "I want to go back to the Tower, grab a few things, and then I need to head out again, Nick. I've got one more lead to chase down, but this was too important not to bring in now."

"Understood. Tony's doing okay."

Barton grinned. "Yeah? Don't tell them I'm coming, I want to surprise them."

"Walk me to medical and then you're free to do what you need to," Fury said.  
****

Tony was in the lab working on the new suit, trying to get the last of the bugs out of it, when he felt someone watching him. "JARVIS, you're slipping," he said, spinning around. "You let a Hawk into the vents, didn't you?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, Sir," JARVIS said.

"Yeah, whatever. Barton, get down here," Tony said.

Barton dropped down onto his table and had an armful of Tony before he was on the floor. "Hey there, I missed you too," he said, making eye contact with Coulson, who was across the room. "I'm okay, Tony."

"Missed you," Tony admitted.

"I've missed you too, both of you," Barton said. "I'm only home for a restock, I'm afraid. I've got a couple of lines left out that I need to finish up and then I'll be done with the op."

Coulson hugged both Barton and Tony. "You report in?" 

"First thing. I brought Nick a present, one that I'm sure he's enjoying a lot," Barton said. "Right now, I want a hamburger and fries, a hot shower, and a two hour nap in about that order too. Living in vents is dusty work."

"Not everyone has robomice keeping their vents clean," Tony grinned. "You're really okay, Clint?"

Barton pulled back and looked into Tony's eyes. "I'm okay, Tony. No one knew I was there, not until I wanted them to, and by then it was too late for them," he said. "Super spy, remember?"

"Yeah, I do," Tony said. "Not letting you go any time soon though."

"Fine with me, but it's going to make showering hard," Barton grinned.  
****

"Director?"

"Hawk asleep?" Fury asked.

"He and Tony both are," Coulson replied. "They're upstairs. I thought it would be better to call you from the lower conference room to be safe. Hawk said you got a nice present and I was wondering if it was something you needed help putting together."

Fury grinned. "Not so far, but I'm just getting started," he said. "I'll call if I need your help, Phil. Right now, you just enjoy having your boy home for a few hours. This last lead he's running down, I worked it out. He brings me this fish, we've got everything in place for the perfect play. It's not dangerous, but there's a possibility the lead could fight."

"I wouldn't worry so much about fighting as I would the bosses," Coulson said with a sigh. "We really do need to work out what we're going to do there."

"The one thing we're not going to do is send them another fruit bowl," Fury said.

"I don't know what you mean, Sir."

"I'm sure you don't. Hawk will be safe, Phil. That's all we need to worry about right now."

Coulson nodded. "Yes, Sir."


	84. Chapter 84

Barton woke up slowly and would have stretched if he didn't have Tony clinging to him, still asleep. He smiled and ran his fingers through the other man's hair a few times. "How's he been doing, Phil?"

"As well as can be expected with you gone and in possible danger," Coulson replied from the chair he'd pulled over next to the bed. "Fury worked out where you're heading, Clint. Sounds like a good prize if you can pull this off."

"I'll need to grab a couple of different weapons from my floor before I head back out again," Barton said. "I give it four days, three to stalk and one to capture. Then transit time and I'll be home again until Nick's ready to make his next move."

Coulson nodded. "I think he's planning something big, but he won't say, at least not over open communication networks," he said. "Has he told you anything?"

"Nope, but if I can get this prize for him, we won't have to worry about spies spying on our spies for a long while."

"You are insane," Coulson said fondly.

"That's why you love me, Phil," he said. Barton looked down at Tony again. "He's not sleeping well, is he?"

"No, he's not. We've been spending a lot of time down in the lab on the sofa there," Coulson said. "When one last project wraps up we're going to be moving the lab to a lower level and redoing all security protocols there."

"I wondered when that would happen," Barton said. "Drag the project out for a week and I'll be home and can help with the move. I mean, the Hulk is all well and good, but I don't know if we want to turn him into a moving man for lab equipment."

"Clint, do you even know what you're saying?" Tony muttered, trying to cuddle closer.

"Of course I do, and it's all true," Barton said with a grin. "How'd you sleep?"

"Great until you two started talking," Tony grumbled. He looked up. "You really have to go again?"

"Five more days, Tony," Barton said. "Five days and then I'll be home for months. I think Nick wants me to train at the base here, work with some juniors on weapons and see if there are any potential snipers in the group. We need a few in the ranks."

Coulson nodded. "True, ever since Jeffrey fell out of that tree on an op he's been scared of heights, which is a drawback for a sniper," he said. 

"I'm just a little surprised that Nick's going to let me teach again, given some of my previous classes."

"I think the previous classes are why he's letting you teach again," Coulson said. "You teach them to think so far outside the box that I'd swear many of them leave the box at their bunk when they head out into the field. Now, you're giving the handlers headaches, but it's good for them. I should ask Nick if I can teach a class on advanced handling techniques."

Tony snorted and sat up. "That just sounds dirty, Agent," he said. "I would be expecting something totally different from a class like that."

"He's good at that sort of handling too," Barton said with a grin. "Come on, Tony, let's get up. I'm hungry again."

"Are you eating, Clint?" Coulson asked.

"When I can. It's hard to eat while on surveillance, Phil, you know that," Barton replied. "You'll just have to feed me when I get home again."

"I don't want to sound clingy, but I really don't want you to go," Tony said.

"What if I bring you back something nice?" Barton asked.

"Having you back will be nice enough," Tony replied. "I just worry when you're out in the field. I know you're probably the most bad-ass agent apart from Agent, but I still worry."

Barton pulled back and looked into Tony's eyes. "Hey, I'm being extra careful this time, Tony, because I have you and Phil to come home to. I'm not going to put myself in danger at all and I'll be home before you know it. I promise."

"Yeah?"

"Swear it," Barton said. He pulled Tony into a tight hug and looked over at Coulson. The older man nodded.


	85. Chapter 85

"Sir, Director Fury is on the phone."

"Pipe it in, JARVIS," Tony said.

Fury's image appeared on the monitor. "I just wanted to let you both know that the Hawk is home in it's roost and will be back with you tomorrow morning," he said.

"Why the delay, Sir?" Coulson asked, leaning over Tony's shoulder. It had been a long five days, but they'd made some progress moving a few things to the empty floor where the new lab would be built

"He's helping me with the prize he brought home," Fury said. "Hawk is whole and healthy, if a little thinner than he should be. You two need to get him some good grub when he's home again, but he's perfectly fine."

Tony let out a harsh breath and leaned back against Coulson. "I won't deny I've been scared to death for him, Nick," he said. "Thanks for letting us know he's home again."

"I'll set things up here, Director," Coulson said. "What time do you think he'll be back?"

"Around ten I would think. He wants to get back as much as you two want him home," Fury said. "I've got to go, I'll talk to you later."

Tony looked back at Coulson. "What do you need to set up?" he asked.

"If Clint hasn't really been eating then he's going to need soup and some other light foods for a couple of days," Coulson said. "I'd rather make him the soup from scratch than pop open a can. He's had enough of that in his life. Feel like coming up to the kitchen to sit while I'm cooking?"

"Yeah, sounds nice," Tony said. "Do I even want to try and guess what sort of prize he brought home with him?"

"Probably not, Tony. Keep in mind the amount of politics going on here," Coulson said. He kissed Tony's forehead softly. "Nick and Clint are setting up a play to get the WSC out of SHIELD business for years. It's risky, but if we can pull it off, we won't have to be looking over our shoulders on every op."

"Sounds good to me," Tony said.  
****

"Thanks for not telling them about the single knife cut, Nick," Barton said from the other side of the desk. "That was my own fault."

"It's shallow and doesn't need stitches, that's only a flesh wound," Fury said. "We need to talk about how we're going to get this nut to crack for us."

Barton grinned. "This is a man used to living in luxury, Nick. I say we strip his bunk bare except for the thinnest mattress pad we can find, lower the temp a little, and give him the basics for supper," he said. "Don't freeze him, but put it at a lower temp than he's used to living in without blankets and the like. Tell him he gets things back when he starts talking."

"You and your creative tortures," Fury said fondly. "Dare I ask what you want us to feed him?"

"Veggie soup and crackers," Barton said. "Give him milk or water to drink and supplements to keep him healthy if this goes on a long time. I doubt this will crack him, but it will certainly soften him up for questioning." He grinned. "It might not hurt to let it crack that you have your top interrogator standing by and flash those images of the torture chamber you always wanted."

"Mess with his mind rather than his body," Fury said. "I suppose, given what he's been doing to folk in the name of the WSC, this is mild. They're going to work out we have him, Hawk."

"Which is why you need to make use of those codes I got you now, Nick."

Fury smiled. "Already on it. We'll have the entirety of their computer system downloaded into a secure location in three more hours," he said. "You did good, Hawk. Let's get you fed and then we'll see what our new guest has to tell us."


	86. Chapter 86

Barton got back to the Tower just after ten the next morning and went up to his floor to stash everything away again, check on Penny and the kittens, and then finally headed up to the common floor. He wasn't expecting to find Tony playing video games with Thor and Natasha. Barton shook his head fondly and went into the kitchen. "Hey."

"Welcome home," Coulson said. He kissed his lover softly. "Nick said you were in one piece, what's this?"

"It's only a scratch," Barton said. "Medical said it didn't even need to be bandaged, just watched. I'm fine, Phil. I promise. What's going on out there?"

"Tony's been driving everyone crazy, so I asked JARVIS to find a way to distract him that involved the others," Coulson said. He pulled a large mug out of the cupboard and went to one of the pots on the stove. "Bruce begged out, I guess video games give him headaches, but Natasha and Thor are fascinated. They've been at it for three hours and aren't showing any sign of stopping."

Barton took the mug with the soup from his lover and leaned against the counter. "Sounds like your plan worked a little too well."

"It means I have a chance to ask you if you completed the mission within parameters and if you need a debrief," Coulson said.

"Trust me, Nick went over every detail so closely that I felt like he was on the mission with me," Barton grinned. "Everything is done and the next play is Nick's. I managed to get a few codes that access the WSC computers directly and he's taking full advantage of those."

"I imagine he is," Coulson said. He winced at a loud crash from the television. "I think I'm starting to understand Bruce's opinion on video games."

"You love it and you know it," Barton grinned. "Where are you with the whole Rogers mess?"

Coulson leaned against the counter next to his lover and sighed. "Nowhere near as far as I'd hoped to be by this time," he said. "Rogers leaking his name and information to the press was a setback that I didn't need. The press seems to have backed off Tony for now, but I know the next time you assemble, he'll be right back in the middle of it all."

"How's Peggy holding up?"

"Good. She's a strong woman and she really wants to help, even if it's causing her pain as well," Coulson said. "I don't know that any of us will be able to help Rogers in the ways he needs. He told us that he was gang-raped before he was accepted into the military, and these days, he would have been able to get help. Back in the day, I don't blame him for keeping quiet, but he could have told Bucky. There were ways for him to get help that didn't involve his own personal brand of therapy and taking back control."

"I still maintain he likes having power over people and that's why he's still so fixated on Tony," Barton said. He finished the soup and pushed off the counter, heading for the fridge. "Because Tony isn't cowering away hiding in shame. Hell, he held a press conference to tell the world what happened. Think about what that had to do to Rogers' views."

"True, he would have expected Tony to offer himself or money to keep details quiet," Coulson said. "Instead, Tony goes in front of the world to talk about what happened and how others can get help. There's no easy answer to any of this, Clint, but I think that holding Rogers in the cells is the best we'll get for now. It'll let Tony finish healing up and regain a sense of safety that he's lost. Pop isn't good for you this soon, you should be having tea."

"I'm fine. I did eat, just not as much as I would've here at the Tower," Barton said with a grin. "I don't know how long it'll take Tony to heal up, but he's making progress. He also knows I'll shoot anyone that looks at him wrong."

"Which helps," Coulson said. "Go on in there and see if you can either drag them away from the video game or get them to change over to a movie. I'm going to finish up in here and then I'll join you."


	87. Chapter 87

"So what happens now?" Tony asked later that night when they were up on their floor.

"We get your lab moved," Barton replied with a stretch. "Once that's done we go back to what we were doing before; helping others and saving the world."

"You make it all sound so easy, Clint," Coulson said dryly. "There's any number of factors we need to take into consideration, including whether or not Rogers will accept our offers of therapy to help him deal with the pain he's been holding onto for so many years, what the WSC will do when they find out that we're onto them, and what the press is going to make of things the next time Tony is seen outside the Tower for any reason."

Barton sighed. "Killjoy," he said. "The WSC is going to find their hands are completely tied by the time they realize what's happened. Those codes I brought back didn't come cheap, but they got us into the deepest files the WSC has, Phil. Think about that for a minute. Nick now has access to everything those bastards have been planning and all the notes they had on future plans. He can counter them for years."

"Right up until the point that they have us all killed and replaced with people they can control," Coulson said.

"Way to scare Tony there, Phil," Barton said around a sudden lap-full of Tony. "Easy now, he's talking worse-case, Tony. The WSC is going to be too busy trying to figure out who betrayed them and how much we know to do anything against us. I made sure to lay a false trail on those codes that will keep them busy for a year or so. You focus on your recovery, Tony, and let Phil and me handle the politics."

"You can't let Agent handle the politics for this," Tony said, muffled against Barton's neck. "He gets abusive to fruit."

"You told him about that?" Barton chuckled. "It was a thing of beauty, Tony. Even if it put me off bananas for a few months."

Tony pulled back a little and looked up. "You're really not worried that they're going to be out to hurt you?" he asked.

"Nope. I know that Nick had plans in place before this and he's going to be adapting them," Barton replied. "Most of his dealings with the WSC were political, yeah, but every so often the Council would overstep their place and put Nick in an impossible position. I don't think they realized what they were getting when they promoted him up to Director."

"If they appointed him, can't they take him out?" Tony asked.

"Nope, appointments are for life, by charter," Coulson said. "Remember that I told you things were very complicated, Tony. I think that it'd take you years to understand all the undercurrents, power plays, checks and balances in place between the WSC and SHIELD. You just have to trust us to know what we're doing. They made the wrong move, again, and we're making the only one left to us. Nick knows it's possible this was all a set-up, but we don't think so. Not with everything Clint brought back with him."

Barton looked around Tony. "You've talked with Nick then, Phil?"

"While you were in beating everyone at the video game," Coulson said. "Why they thought they could beat you, even teamed up like they were, I don't know. Nick said that they're still reviewing data, but that there's enough there to keep the WSC tied up for years. It doesn't mean that we have free, non-watched reign over everything, but it does mean we don't have to worry about them trying to nuke anyone any time soon."

"So why did you joke about assassins?" Tony asked.

"I'm sorry about that, Tony, I shouldn't have," Coulson replied. He moved over to sit next to the other men. "That's an old joke between Nick, Clint and me, one you wouldn't have heard us use before. I wasn't thinking because you've been doing so well lately."

"Guess that's a trigger," Tony said, looking over at Coulson.

Coulson leaned in and kissed Tony's cheek softly. "I'm sorry, Tony, but I'm glad to know that you're comfortable enough to tell us when we trigger something," he said. "That'll help us keep you comfortable."

"It's like I told you, Tony," Barton said. "When you're attacked like this, you don't know what your triggers are as you're healing. I think we're going to start finding others as we get back to business around here. Don't hide them away. Let us help you."

Tony nodded. "Okay, I'll try," he said.


	88. Chapter 88

"Sir, Ms. Potts is here along with a reporter from a women's magazine," JARVIS said.

Tony looked up from the table he was in the process of taking apart. "What do they want, J?"

"The reporter wants to talk with you about your new foundation, Sir," JARVIS said. "Ms. Potts has said that you do not have to do this, that there is enough information available at both headquarters and the new foundation's offices, but the reporter insisted."

"Phil?" Tony asked softly.

Coulson was helping Barton pack up tablets and other things that were just laying around the lab. "Would you like me to take care of this for you, Tony?"

"Please. I just can't deal with it today," Tony said.

"All right, I'll be back when I'm done," Coulson said. He tilted Tony's head up and kissed his forehead softly. "Want me to bring pizza with me?"

"Cheeseburgers?" Tony asked.

"Sure," he replied with a fond smile. "Clint, you hungry?"

"I could eat," Barton said. He took something from Dummy and added it to the box. "I think we've got this about halfway done, Tony. How's the wall instillation going down on the new floor?"

"Good," Tony said, looking over, "Bruce and Natasha are overseeing that today and the fabrications units have been put in their own area to give me more work space. You'll have to do the vents to your liking, but I think this will work out better for me. Be a bit more like Malibu than what I had in here."

Barton moved over and sat down next to Tony. "Do you want to go back out to Malibu and spend a week or two?" he asked. "You said that was your favorite lab out of all the ones you have stashed around the country. Would getting home make you feel better or more exposed?"

"Exposed, if only because that's still glass and really easy to break into," Tony said. "I need to get the new lab set up here. I trashed the tables that Rogers tied me to. There's new ones on order because I need them to spread my projects out on, but I just couldn't take those two with me."

"It's fine, Tony, no one expects you to," Barton said. "I'm so amazed by you every day, Tony. You're so strong and so amazing."

Tony blushed and looked down at his hands. "I'm really not."

"Yeah, you are, and we'll spend every day proving it to you," Barton said. "Can I help with the table?"

"Sure."  
****

"Ms. Potts, it's a pleasure to see you again," Coulson said, walking into the meeting room. "Ma'am, I'm Agent Phil Coulson."

"Phil, this is Sandy Beaucamp," Pepper said. "Sandy works for a very respected women's magazine."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," Coulson said. "I'm afraid that Mr. Stark isn't available today, but he asked me if I could come up and answer any questions you might have regarding the new foundation put in place by Stark Industries."

"I was really hoping to have a chance to speak with Mr. Stark," Sandy said, looking over at Pepper.

Coulson bit back a sigh. "I'm afraid that's not possible at this time," he said. "Mr. Stark has made statements to the press concerning his attack and the new foundation. I believe that Stark Industries has made plenty of information available to anyone that asks for it. I'll admit I'm curious why you're here today."

"Statements to the press are all well and good, but things changed when the name of Mr. Stark's attacker was released," Sandy said.

"Changed for you, maybe," Coulson said. "Nothing changed for Mr. Stark beyond more stress than he needs to be dealing with at this time. Ms. Potts, I think we're done here."

Pepper nodded. "I think you're right, Phil," she said. "I'll make sure that Sandy gets some information and then I'll make sure she understands that harassing rape victims, regardless of their status in society, is the last thing that she should be doing."  
****

"Wow, harsh," Tony winced. "I think that Sandy is about to find out why you don't make Pep angry. Thanks for playing that for me, J."

"Sir."

Barton grinned. "I think that Sandy's magazine is about to get one very strongly worded letter from your lawyer, Tony," he said. "Good. Rape victims do not need to relive their attacks for the whims of the public. You are healing and you deserve respect."

"I just wish there was more I could do for others in the same situation," Tony said. 

"The foundation is doing things for them," Barton said. "JARVIS, pull up the file with the numbers in it. Look at this, Tony. Providing lawyers and other legal aid to rape victims that couldn't otherwise afford it. Paying medical costs. Providing doctors to people that normally wouldn't be able to get personal one-on-one treatment. Councilors available 24-7 where they weren't before. You did all of this, Tony, and you are helping people that wouldn't be able to get this much help otherwise."

"Why haven't I seen this?" Tony asked, looking over the report.

"It came in this morning when you were working on the charging stations for Dummy and Butterfingers," Barton replied. "We were going to show you at lunch. You really are a hero, Tony. You, not Iron Man."

"Wow. I had no idea," Tony said.

"We get that new plane material made, Tony, and we can expand the foundation even more," Barton said. "Come on, let's keep packing up the lab. You have science calling your name."


	89. Chapter 89

"Where's Phil?" Tony asked the next morning. "I thought I felt him get out of bed, but I was still pretty out of it."

"He's doing something with Pepper today," Barton replied. "I've got some information for you on exactly what all you would need to do to build a plane from a new material. I talked to Nick and he released some of the specs from planes we have in service so you can pick what sort you want to try first."

"Wicked," Tony grinned. "I'll admit that's one thing I never got involved in back in the day, so I was hoping that maybe someone who knew a little more would be able to step in and give me some clues. Let me see."

Barton slid the tablet over. "I know you're thinking military plane, but you've got troop transports, helicopters, bombers, strike planes, just to name a few," he said. "I think that you need to pick one to start with because they're all going to be a little different."

"Helicopter," Tony said. "They're used for medical air lift and troop drops. Let's get a few of them made safe and then we can look at other options."

"There's a lot of gear on those, Tony. We're going to have to be smart about protecting gears and props too," Barton said. "Let me call Nick and see if we can go to the air field down in D.C. for you to take a close look at the basic helicopters we have there. There's also a stealth model we use, but they're classified, so you wouldn't be able to study them as easily."

"Could you see if maybe Nick would let me at least look at the outside of one?" Tony asked. "I'm close to getting the metal right, there's only a few tests left to run on it and then, I think, we can start playing around with models and seeing if this will really work."

"Sure, I'll see what I can do." Barton kissed Tony on the top of the head and slipped out of bed. "Hungry?"

"Yeah, I think you guys might have done the impossible and gotten me onto a regular schedule," Tony said, glancing up from the tablet. "I'll be down in a minute, I just want to look at something here."

"JARVIS, will you use the air horns if he gets too caught up in things again?" Barton asked. 

"Of course, Sir," JARVIS replied.

Barton just smiled fondly and headed for the common area to start breakfast for everyone. He figured that Natasha had probably already eaten, but it never hurt to make extra just in case. "All right, J, what is Phil doing today that he doesn't want Tony to know about?"

"He and Ms. Potts have a small surprise planned for Mr. Stark, Clint," JARVIS said. "They asked that I not give anyone details."

"Fair enough, I just wanted to be sure they weren't doing something crazy," Barton said. "Morning, Nat."

"Hey, you up to spar later?" she asked, slipping onto a bar stool. "I need to make sure that you're not getting soft."

"You know I'm not, Nat, I beat you soundly up on the Helicarrier," Barton replied with a grin. "I think you're trying to get lessons from me without asking, again."

Natasha shrugged. "It didn't hurt to try," she said. "I do not remember much of our fight, Clint, but it's rare you don't hold back when we spar and I wanted to see if we could do that again."

"No, because I could hurt you," Barton said. "Tony, left now."

Tony moved around a chair, still reading on the tablet. "I thought I said no rearranging the furniture," he said. "You all know I don't pay attention to where I'm walking when I'm working on something."

"One chair is not rearranging," Barton said. "Here, Tony, coffee."

"Magic," Tony grinned, picking up his mug. "You two talking about fighting again?"

"Nat wants to spar. Would you be okay on your own or with Bruce for an hour while I'm in the gym?"

"Sure, he can help me pack things up or something," Tony said. "Morning, Bruce."

"Sounds to me like you're planning the day out without me," Bruce said with a smile. "Moving today, Tony?"

Tony finally looked up from the tablet. "Only if you're free. I don't want to pull you away from anything important," he said.

"It's fine, Tony, I'd love to help you move," Bruce said. "It'll give the assassins a chance to train, which is always a good idea, right?"

"Right," Barton said dryly. He flipped the first batch of pancakes onto a plate and poured more batter onto the griddle.


	90. Chapter 90

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Work is getting in the way of fandom today. I'm going to do my best to update everything, but if I miss, it's because I have to work on my server system. Stupid computers. *grumbles*
> 
>  
> 
> Also, vwebb and I have been talking again. Another good point brought up, this chapter is all down to the discussion in the comments. :)

"So what's this surprise?" Barton asked appearing behind his lover and Pepper.

Pepper jumped and spun around. "Where did you come from, Clint?" she asked. "I didn't see you there."

"I'm usually around," Barton said with a smile. "Phil, what's with the bags?"

"You wouldn't believe the state of the mail room at Stark Industries," Coulson said.

"Probably not," Barton said, "but that doesn't mean I want to go into the postal business."

Coulson couldn't help the grin. "I think people would object to you sticking their mail onto an arrow and shooting it off into the distance anyway," he said. "The insurance premiums on fragile and breakable items alone would be prohibitive."

"How do you two always manage to do this?" Pepper asked, looking between them.

"We're even worse when Tony's with us," Barton replied. "Speaking of, that's his elevator, so if you need to hide these ridiculously oversized mail bags before he gets here, you'd better hurry."

"It's not that sort of surprise," Coulson said.

"Hey Agent, Pep, what do you have there?" Tony asked, walking out of the elevator, Bruce behind him. "It can't be anything alive, the bags aren't moving. Are you bringing your work home with you again, Agent?"

"I have never once brought a corpse home with me in a sack, Tony," Coulson said. "Before Clint says anything, the turkey does not count."

"It was tasty though," Barton grinned, leaning on the wall. "A bit overdone, but it's hard to cook turkey over a campfire."

"Let me guess, an op you can't do more than tease with," Tony said. "Drink anyone?"

Pepper looked over. "Tony, I thought you weren't drinking alcohol anymore."

"I'm not. Clint's got me hooked on classic Coke in bottles," Tony said. "I don't know how I missed this, but they're awesome."

"Gives him a bottle to hold, too, so it helps," Barton said. "I'll take one, Tony."

"So what is in the bags?" Tony asked, handing Barton one of the bottles.

"Letters for you," Coulson said. "Tony, since your first press conference, and you not going out anymore, people have been worried about you, so they did the only thing they could. They've written letters. We've opened all of them, weeded out the bad ones, because some people are going to be jerks no matter what, and this is a selection of the ones that you should see. There's well-wishes, offers of aid, and people who have been attacked in some way, from rape to domestic violence, to random shootings in public places, that want to let you know that they understand what you're going through. The Foundation is starting to receive thank you letters as well. We'll bring those over once they've been opened and checked through."

Tony looked shocked. "Those are all letters?" he asked. "Have people never heard of email?"

"We've gotten plenty of those too," Pepper said. "There's a few printed out in here, but I think that most people are turning to letters because it's a more personal method of communication. You've been missed, Tony, and they want to let you know that they understand the need to hide away to find yourself again."

Barton wrapped an arm around Tony's waist. "Told you the world would miss you," he said softly. "Also that they would understand."

"I just can't believe it," Tony said. "How am I supposed to reply back to all of these?"

"We'll help," Coulson said. "All of us, Tony. You don't have to do it all in one day, or even one week. People understand that you're busy, and you have other projects that need your attention. We'll help you craft a letter that can be adjusted slightly for each person, so it's not a form letter, but will help speed up the process a little. The next time you're on TV or do an interview, you can mention this and people will see it."

"I think we need to feed everyone before we get too involved in any sort of project," Barton said. "I was making supper. Ms. Potts, can I tempt you with a veggie pasta bake and bread?"

"I'd like that, Clint, thank you," Pepper said with a smile. "Come on, Tony, we can start sorting these until dinner is ready."


	91. Chapter 91

"I can't believe that so many people would take the time to sit down and write out a letter," Tony said later that night. "I mean, this one is five pages long. I'm nothing special. I'm just me."

Barton smiled fondly. "Tony, you have to remember that people only know your outside persona, the Stark mask you wear at everything," he said. "You did love being the center of attention prior to your kidnapping, and you kept up that mask for a couple of years. I think that some people think you're like a rock star on the celebrity scale."

"It's just so open," Tony said. He put the letter to the side and sat back on the sofa. "I mean, the press conference proved that. I don't know if I'll ever be able to do that again."

"Just do what you're comfortable with, Tony," Coulson said. "Stark Industries has so many different ways to get the attention of the public, they don't always need you in the middle of everything."

"Maybe in the suit," Tony said. "I want to start up the Expo again. I know you're not fond of it, Pepper, but it encourages young people to be interested in science and that's not a bad thing. Howard may not have been the best dad in the world, but that's his legacy, and one I want to keep going with."

"We can talk about it," Pepper said. Her tone said that she wouldn't be arguing the point with him though. "What's this I hear about possible new materials for making airplanes, Tony?"

Tony looked up. "One of the materials JARVIS and I created when we were trying to find a new way to power the arc reactor back when I was dying, it turned out to be light enough and strong enough to create the shells for airplanes," he said. "We're moving slowly and carefully with this, but I think it might be possible to have planes in the military that are at the very least resistant to missiles and bombs."

"That would be amazing," Coulson said. "You already have a test pilot, Tony, so we just need to get things worked out to your high standards."

"Nick's going to let us come down and take a look at a few different planes and helicopters at the strip this weekend," Barton said. "None of the stealth set, but this will be a good starting point for us."

"I'm going back to the base to talk with Rogers again this weekend," Coulson said. "Fury wants me to check on a few things for the rest of it while I'm there."

Barton nodded. "Regroup on Monday then?" he asked.

"That sounds like a plan," Coulson replied with a smile. "Tony, are you all right with that?"

"Yeah, I'm going to miss you with me, Phil, but I know you've got to get this wrapped up," Tony said. "Maybe I can take the assassin twins with me. I know I'd feel safer with two people watching my back."

"I'd be happy to go along," Natasha said. She sat down on the floor and looked at the piles of paper on the table. "This is impressive. Do you want some help answering these, Tony?"

"We're going to make up a mock form letter to adjust to each person," Barton said. "JARVIS is going to do the writing for us and then we'll print them out as needed."

"Sounds sneaky."

"So are we," Barton said.

Natasha nodded with a smile. "True. Good point, Clint."


	92. Chapter 92

Coulson stood off to the side and looked at the man in the prison apartment. That he looked the same as he always did made Coulson angry. Tony was still suffering through so much almost a year later, and Rogers looked the same as he ever did. He took a deep breath and moved over to the visitor chair. "Good morning, Rogers," he said. "I thought I should come and tell you that we worked out who gave you the phone and what they were doing."

"I told you the phone was in here, Coulson. I don't know what you're talking about."

"I believe you, now," Coulson said. He crossed his legs and leaned back in the chair. "You were a patsy again, Rogers, just like you were before you went over to Europe and showed that you really did know how to fight and lead men. How does it feel to know you were the singing monkey for the World Security Council and their play to disrupt the Avengers Initiative?"

"They're the ones that tried to nuke New York, right?" Rogers asked. "I'd never do anything to help them."

"Again, I believe you. For all your warped views of a few things, there are still hints of Captain America in here," Coulson replied. "The WSC doesn't like that Director Fury chose to proceed with the Initiative even after it was ordered shut down. That the Avengers are so popular now only makes the WSC that much angrier with SHIELD and the Director. When Tony held the press conference to announce his attack and answer questions, the WSC saw a chance to cause trouble, possibly enough to completely disband the Avengers for good. What they failed to take into account is how strong Tony and the rest of the team are. They used to try one last time to break Tony and force him out of action. It didn't work, and they're about to find out how much trouble they're really in."

Rogers sighed. "What would it take to get me out of here, Coulson?" he asked. "I don't like being used."

"No one does, but you still use others to make yourself feel powerful, Rogers. There isn't anything you can do to get out of this prison," Coulson said. "You're a danger to the people of this planet and we're not going to allow you to go out and start attacking innocent people again. You're going to sit there, in your prison, and think about everything that led you to this point, and what you could have done differently. If you'd been honest with us about the rape you endured before the procedure, Director Fury and I would have done everything we could to help you. Counselors, time, others that could help you come to terms with what you suffered through. Instead you decided that an old debt meant you could have one of your team. People are not possessions, Rogers, and I think you've managed to forget that."

"Howard said I could have anything I wanted when the war was over," Rogers said. "Anything means anything."

"Anything means inanimate objects, not humans," Coulson said. "I suppose he would have gotten you a horse, cat, dog, cow, pig, chicken, or any other animal you wanted, but it never, ever means human being. The only thing you've done by insisting that Howard Stark would be evil enough to sell his own son into sexual slavery is dishonor his memory. I won't say that Howard Stark was the best man alive, but he did his best to help others. He cared for everyone on this planet and tried to do his best to help protect them. He would never have given away his only child, not even for a debt he owed another. Tony would have honored the debt if you had asked him, given you anything you wanted except for himself. You took the choice away from him, Rogers, and in doing that, you lost all sense of honor you could possibly have had."

"Then why are you here?" Rogers asked. "If I'm such a bad person, why do you keep coming back to talk with me? Why is Peggy here to talk to me? If I'm so rotten, shouldn't you just lock me up and throw away the key for good?"

Coulson shook his head. "There is some hope that if we help you come to terms with what you've suffered, what all has happened to you, that you might be allowed to rejoin your team at a later date," he said. "Personally, I'd be happy enough to just kill you and leave your body out in the middle of nowhere until the buzzards had cleaned it to the bone. Director Fury is never one to risk losing a chess piece, so we have to work with you."

"I could save you a lot of time and tell you it's not going to work," Rogers said. "There's no way to come to terms with being held down in an alley and attacked by five men who are all bigger and stronger than you."

"There's no way to come to terms with it so long as you hold onto that mentality," Coulson said. "The first step to recovery is admitting that something happened. You should follow Tony's example. He's still got a long path to walk, but he's at least making progress. You're stuck back at the beginning hiding in fear of pain. No one ever claimed that recovery would be painless, Rogers, but life isn't painless. The only way to get rid of pain is to die. I read about a young man that risked getting arrested to join the Army because he wanted to go overseas and fight for his country. He never gave up. He was an exceptional young man that died when a certain chemical was injected into his blood stream. I don't know who walked out of that chamber, but it's not the same man. The man sitting in front of me right now is a coward."


	93. Chapter 93

Tony looked around the air field. "Okay, I have to admit, I never realized there were so many different types in SHIELD's arsenal," he said. "You guys really have this many different types of plane, jet, and helicopter?"

"You never know what the situation is going to call for, so we like to be prepared," Natasha said with a smile. "Clint is certified on all of these. Hey Hawkeye, we should show Tony one of the old buses that never get used now."

"There's one in the hangar," Barton said. "We're cleared to look at anything not rated stealth. Nick wants to hold off on those until we know that this mad plan is going to work."

"My mad plans always work, they just take some adjustments as I go," Tony said. "I mean it, I built my first suit in a cave with scraps and look what I have now. Yeah, we can do this, but time and testing will help streamline the new materials into something better."

Barton nodded. "Let's go see the bus before we get to the helicopters, Tony," he said. "I think you'll get a kick out of these."

"Now when you saw bus, do you mean bus, or do you say bus and mean plane?" Tony asked, following Barton towards a large hanger. "Because one thing I've learned hanging out with you super spies is that you have your own language and half of it is code for another code that means something totally different. I've been thinking I need to make up a dictionary for me and Bruce so we don't get confused when you guys are talking to us."

"This is more than a plane, Tony," Barton said. He unlocked the door and went in, flicking the lights on as he moved to the side. "This is a mobile command unit, affectionately known as a bus because she's so large. This is what we used before the Helicarrier was finished. Want to take a look inside?"

"Can we?" Tony asked.

"Sure, let me go open the cargo hatch," Barton replied with a grin. "Nat, why don't you walk Tony around the outside so he can see everything while I get the power on?"

Natasha nodded. "Come on, Tony, there's no one in here but us. I think you'll enjoy seeing the bus," she said. "I was rarely stationed to one, but for a couple of missions Coulson, Barton and I were on one. It's crowded, but it was homey as well."

"Six engines, makes sense, long range quickly," Tony said. He pulled his tablet out and found the information packet. "Four fuel tanks, wow, heavy. Rated for non-combat missions."

"Coulson once had a team blow a hole in the side of one from the inside," Natasha said. "Fury wasn't happy."

"I wouldn't think so," Tony said with a grin. "Only needs one pilot at a time plus auto-pilot mode. She's beautiful."

"She is," Barton agreed. "Come on in, Tony. I think you'll like the inside even more."

Tony walked under the far wing and around to the cargo hatch. "Two vans back here?" he asked.

"Or a combo of van and car," Barton replied. "The room straight back is usually a lab or some sort, although on this one it looks like it's been converted to a machine shop. Stairs to the next level. There's storage through the room in the front of the plane. That's where we usually keep food and other necessities that'll be needed when in-flight."

Natasha started up the stairs. "I seem to remember you stashing a crate of lube up there one time, Clint," she said. "Coulson was furious."

"Still got used," Barton said.

"It did, as door grease," Natasha finished.

"You guys have way too much fun doing this to me," Tony grumbled as he started up the stairs. "Why twisty stairs. Why not something straight?"

"In theory, it's to slow down enemy infiltration," Barton said, following Tony up. "In practice, it's to stop people falling straight down and out the back hatch."

"I've still seen it happen," Natasha said.

"Yeah, but he glanced off the wall, went under the van, and out the back," Barton said. "He was also very lucky we were parked at the time."

"Teases," Tony said. "Okay, wow, this is like sleepover in an office."

Barton turned on the rest of the lights. "Sleeping pods along that wall, the commander has a bunk up across from his office on the next level up," he said. "Kitchen and showers are to the back. Ops room, meeting area, and table are all in here. Two bathrooms forward, three back. Cabin is through a locked and secure door. Those stairs there lead up to the office and room for whoever is in command of the bus."

"I think I'm in love," Tony said. "We need one for the Avengers."

"I don't know if Nick would let us pull her out and put her back in service," Barton said. "Unless you want to try and make one from the ground up out of the new materials."

"JARVIS, what do you think?" Tony asked.

"We would need to acquire a factory to create airplanes first, Sir," JARVIS said.

"SHIELD has you covered there, buddy," Barton said. "Nick's going to let us play in one of our factories. What else?"

"In that case, we need the base plans, numbers and people to work on it," JARVIS said. "As you say, Sir, sometimes you must run before you can walk."

Natasha just rolled her eyes.


	94. Chapter 94

"You and Tony are doing what?" Fury demanded when Barton called to check in.

"We're going to try and rebuild the mobile command plane from the new materials," Barton replied. "We showed one to Tony at the airfield today and he's in love. Said he wants it for the Avengers to use."

Fury sighed. "I'm going to regret letting you two in there, aren't I?"

"Nick, think about your other long-term plan," Barton said. "This could benefit it, and you wouldn't have to worry that another bomb would punch a hole in the side of it."

"I still say that was all Coulson's fault."

"I don't remember him ever denying it was."

"He said the team acted with his authority," Fury said. "Good handler that he is, took all the blame for it. The R&D people told me that the bomb was made out of flour, a suit jacket and a lighter. You tell me who would be able to get to all three of those quickly in a battle of any kind."

Barton grinned. "I didn't know Phil was still carrying around a lighter," he said. "I'll have to tease him about that when I get a chance. Nick, seriously, the busses were phased out because we have the Helicarrier, but what if we could redesign the fleet and put it back in service. I think that we'd lose fewer agents if we had more people in the air than we do now."

"Get me numbers and we'll see if you're right," Fury said.

"You got it," Barton said. "I'll have them to you in a week."

"One week. If they don't support your argument, you go back to the helicopter idea and scrap the bus for now."

"You're going to make me tell Tony that, aren't you?"

"Hell yes," Fury said. "Hawk, you got a good head on your shoulders and I know you know some of my plans, but you don't know all of them. It's possible that putting even one bus back up in the air could scuttle what I'm planning."

"I have an idea of what you're going for, Nick, and a bus would help," Barton said softly. "We can't take them out, but we can make them hurt. Hell, I'd like five minutes alone to show them exactly what I think of them right now."

Fury laughed. "You're my smart kid, Hawk. Get me those numbers."

"Yes, Sir." Barton put the phone down and looked over at Tony. "We've got a week to show that this is a good idea, but if we can't, he wants a helicopter made instead."

"He's a spoilsport is what he is," Tony said. He pushed one of the kittens away from his tablet and looked up. "Can we do this in a week, Clint? Is it possible to try and prove that this is a good idea?"

"We'll make it possible because you want to do it, Tony," Barton said. "You focus on the numbers and design. Work with JARVIS to get everything planned out. Let me worry about the numbers Nick wants. I have a better idea of what he wants looked at and can put them together faster. It'd be easier if Phil was here, but we can do this."

"When's Phil going to be home again?" Tony asked.

"Day after tomorrow. He's finished with Rogers for now but is talking with the base shrink," Barton replied. "Phil wants to try and get Rogers some help for things he suffered back before the Army took him in."

"He's never getting out again though."

Barton leaned over and kissed Tony's cheek softly. "Never."


	95. Chapter 95

Coulson was expecting to find his two crazy lovers in Tony's lab when he got back to the Tower, but they weren't there and the new lab was dark. "JARVIS, where are they?" he asked.

"Everyone is on Clint's floor, Agent Coulson," JARVIS replied. "The kittens are starting to play more and everyone has been spending more time with them."

"Does this mean they're not working on anything?" Coulson asked, heading back to the elevator.

"I have been directed to let Mr. Stark and Clint tell you about their latest project, Sir," JARVIS said.

"That means I'm not going to like it and they know that," Coulson said with a small sigh. "You won't even give me a hint at what I'm going to be finding up there?"

"No, Sir," JARVIS said.

Coulson glanced up towards the camera in the elevator. "You know, JARVIS, I think you've evolved a little more since we moved in here," he said. "You're definitely more snarky than you used to be."

"I believe that is because I can now consider you family, Sir," JARVIS said. "I tend to not be as formal with people that are in Mr. Stark's family."

"JARVIS, that might be the nicest thing you've ever said to me," Coulson said. He stepped out of the elevator and headed towards the voices he could hear down the hall in the main living area. "Hey guys."

"Phil, you're home," Barton said, glancing up from the tablet he was working on.

"Restrain your enthusiasm there, Hawkeye," Coulson said dryly. He sat down next to his lover and looked down at the tablet. "What's this?"

"Numbers for Nick," Barton said. "We've got permission to try and rebuild one of the old buses from the new materials, but Nick wants numbers to show that having the fleet back in the air would be worth the added cost involved. Tony's working on the plane, I'm getting the numbers to prove it'll be good."

"Well, I can think of three instances where having a bus in the air would have meant a different end to an op," Coulson said. "Show me what you have. Ouch."

"Kitten claws," Tony said with a grin. He picked up the black kitten carefully and sat down next to Coulson. "Clint says we can't start trimming them yet, so you sort of learn to wear heavier clothes if you're going to be here for any length of time."

Coulson pulled Tony over and kissed his forehead softly. "How are you doing, Tony?" he asked.

"Good, I've been doing good," Tony replied. "Yesterday I made it until almost bedtime without thinking about the attack, the rape, or Rogers. I don't know if that means I'm on the mend or not, but yesterday was also really crazy."

"It was fun," Bruce added from a corner of the room. He had three of the kittens using him as a cat tree and looked happier than Coulson could remember seeing him in a long time. "We blew up the first thing in the new lab yesterday."

"Alternate fuel source test," Barton said when no one else seemed to want to clarify. "Jet fuel is all well and good, but Tony thought if we could power the buses with something different, something that wouldn't be used as fast, it would cut the cost of operation a little. The first tests weren't as successful as he hoped."

"I'll find something," Tony said. "We've still got a lot of tests to run before we can be sure that this is truly going to work out."

"It'll work out," Coulson said. "I know it'll work out because you're the one working on it, Tony. You've got your team behind you and your mind is fully fixed on building this plane and making it safer than it is now."

Barton glanced up. "That reminds me, Phil," he said. "Flour, your jacket and a lighter?"

"There wasn't time to do anything else and the flour had been brought up for supper that night," Coulson said.

"You really have a thing for taking out enemies with flour," Barton grinned. "Maybe you're developing a fetish."

"Maybe you should get back to your report, Hawkeye," Coulson said.

"Yes, Sir," Barton said.

Coulson sighed. "Smart ass," he said fondly.


	96. Chapter 96

"All right, prove to me this is a good idea," Fury said.

Barton handed over a small stack of papers. "These are the overviews of missions that would have ended differently if we still had the buses in the air, Sir," he said. "As you can see, these were more remote operations where we weren't able to send in as large a support team as we normally would and it also led to a delay in getting help to the team on the ground. Were the buses in the air, the waiting time would have been halved in seventy percent of the missions and reduced by ninety percent in the remaining thirty percent. We would have to work in funding for fuel and landing strip staffing, but that wouldn't be much different than before, and the staff could be assigned on a rotating bases depending on where you want the buses in the air."

"I'm impressed, Barton," Fury said with a small smile. "You've really put a lot of work into this."

"Nick, this is something that Tony really wants to do," Barton said. "Since we started this project, his nightmares have decreased, his focus is returning and he's not jumping at small noises. I will do everything in my power to get this project full approval to help him recover even more."

"Build me two and we'll see after that," Fury said. "We can station them opposite the Helicarrier and cut response time by half. After that, we can talk about it."

"Thanks, Nick," Barton said. "I know it means redoing the budget a little."

"Coulson's already talked with me about that," Fury said. "Does Tony know the two of you are working so hard to get this project off the ground for him?"

"No, Sir, not yet," Barton said. "He and Bruce have been talking alternate energy for the planes and, given the rate of explosions from the lab, are close to an answer. I think that he'll work it out once final approval comes in, but we've been letting him focus on the project and leaving the rest of it to us."

Fury nodded. "I think that he knows how lucky he is to have the both of you though."

"I hope so, Nick," Barton said. "You know, I was expecting a bit of a talk from you, actually, about my trying to be in such a crazy relationship."

"You're happy, Hawk, that's all that's ever mattered to me," Fury said. "Tony Stark, for all his faults, is a good man and he's not going to do anything to hurt you or attempt to take Phil away from you. I do think you're insane, but I've thought that for years."

Barton grinned. "I think I was born insane, Sir," he said. "At least that's what the doctors always told me. Apparently people shouldn't enjoy jumping off buildings nearly as much as I do."

"That's the truth of it, Hawk, and you'll never convince anyone differently," Fury said. "Would you take a message back to Phil for me?"

"Of course."

"Tell him there's been a break-through with Rogers," Fury said. "One of the base doctors was talking to him about his attack and caused a flashback bad enough that Rogers had to be sedated. Seems he had the memories buried deeply in his mind and now that they're back at the surface, the doctors have hope that maybe they can help him. It'll take years, if not decades of work, but there's a possibility."

"He won't be let out any time soon, right?"

"No, he's remaining secure until they are sure he won't attack again," Fury said. "The tell me they can be sure of this. Personally, I doubt it."

"You give me the word, Nick."

"I'll keep it in mind," Fury said. "Now go home and tell your insane partner that you have the green light on this project. I want to start seeing results."

"Yes, Sir," Barton said.


	97. Chapter 97

Barton ducked a model plane and looked around the lab. "Arc reactor power?" he finally asked.

"Hey, you're back," Tony replied. "How did the meeting with Fury go?"

"He said if I can prepare reports that detailed then it's possible that he's going to send me in for some new training," Barton sighed. "He gave us the green light for two buses, Tony. Think you're up to it?"

Tony grinned, hugged Barton tightly and kissed him. "We get to make two?" he asked.

"Sounds like they'll both be on deploy at first, Tony, but if we can show that this helps to keep agents and field staff safe while staying within budget, then I'm sure that we'll be able to make more," Barton replied.

"Awesome," Tony said. "JARVIS, sent word to the plant and start them up. Let's get the frame put together and see what we need to do inside."

Coulson moved over next to his lover as Tony hurried back into the depth of the lab. "That was unexpected," he said softly. "I wonder if Tony even realizes what he did there."

"I don't know, Phil, but I think he's getting better," Barton said just as softly. "I'm not sure about burying himself in work, but given the amount of time that's passed since the attack, I think he's doing okay. Speaking of that, Nick sent a message. There's been a breakthrough with Rogers."

"I'll call and get the details," Coulson said. "You'll stay here with Tony?"

They both ducked automatically at the explosion across the room. "Yeah," Barton grinned. "Sounds like it'll be exciting."  
****

Coulson went out into the hall and called Fury's office. "Barton says there was a breakthrough."

"Rogers had a breakdown," Fury replied. "The details of his own rape were buried in his mind and one of the base doctors brought them back to the top. They had to sedate him, but the doctor thinks they'll have something to work on now."

"So they're being cautious about being cautiously optimistic," Coulson said.

"You have such a way with words, Phil," Fury said, grin evident in his voice. "JARVIS routed the video of the session to ANNIE and she played it for me. Rogers won't be able to released for a long time, but it's possible that he can start to heal from everything he's been holding onto for so long."

"It makes me wonder if some things aren't better now, Sir," Coulson said. "Think about how many different forms of counseling we have for rape victims within SHIELD. I do realize there aren't nearly enough in the world, but Tony's working to change that. I just wonder if it's possible Rogers wouldn't have gone on to attack so many other people if he'd had these options available to him back when the attack first happened."

Fury sighed. "No way to know and I'm not playing guessing games," he said. "I have a memo sitting on my desk from Pepper Potts saying that the new foundation is going to start going global at the first of the year."

"Yes sir, starting in India and the Middle East," Coulson said. "It'll be hard, but Bruce has some friends that he thinks will be able to help us out. Tony's vision is slowly coming true."

"The military got wind of the new planes," Fury said. "They're very interested."

"If these work, Nick, then those contracts would be enough to send aid to nearly everywhere in the world," Coulson said. "Pepper and I are watching this closely and, for once, the board of directors isn't raising a fuss with what Tony's working on."

"They'd be fools to," Fury said. "You and Hawk are good for Tony, Phil."

Coulson smiled. "We're good for each other, Sir," he said.


	98. Chapter 98

Tony jerked awake in the middle of the night and scrambled out of bed. "Hey," Barton said, instantly alert, "what's wrong?"

"I had an idea for power for the new planes," Tony said, heading towards his desk. "I think this will totally work if I can get the right sort of coils in there."

"The risks of sleeping with a genius," Coulson commented dryly. "What are you thinking, Tony?"

"Combination clean fuel and solar power," Tony said, making notes. "The planes are up high, so they would have constant exposure to the sun. Collect the power during the day to power the workings of the plane like the lights, kitchen, and other small things. Clean fuel powers the engines to keep the plane in the air. We wouldn't have to make that many adjustments to the engines to run off a different type of jet fuel."

Barton sat up and stretched. "I thought solar power was being debunked as not being as power as people thought it was," he said. 

"It is, but that's why I need the right type of coil," Tony said. "There's bugs to work out in here, but I think I can do it and make a plane that's just as powerful as the old style but won't have a negative impact on the planet."

"I've said it before, Tony, you're amazing," Coulson said with a yawn. "Clint, the reports on solar energy are mixed and I wouldn't want to be on a plane that had only solar power, but in a combination with jet fuel, even the cleaner version that Stark Industries has been developing, it should be safe and practical."

"We have the oddest talks at the oddest times," Barton said.

Tony crawled back into bed and wiggled back down under the covers. "You have to get ideas like that down on paper fast or else you forget them," he said. "Sorry I woke you guys up."

"Not a problem, Tony," Barton said, kissing the top of Tony's head. "I know how hard it can be to shut your mind down for the night, and it sounds like yours was still working even though you were asleep. Mine usually doesn't do that, although there was dream I had where Phil was riding a horse made out of ice cream and we were fighting an enemy made out of whipped cream."

"That sounds messy," Tony said.

"It was, but the chocolate sauce arrows worked in the end," Barton said.

"You're making this up," Tony said, twisting a little to look at Barton.

Coulson sighed. "No, he's not, unfortunately," he said. "We were on an op up in the Artic and Barton took a bullet to the leg. He was feverish and not quite in his right mind. I remember him talking about the battle in detail while we were waiting for our extraction team."

"Fevered dreams don't count, Barton," Tony said with a grin.

"They totally count," Barton replied. "Besides, it was either that or pass out and Phil wasn't going to let me do that."

"Of course not, you had to stay awake to be sure you didn't fall into a coma," Coulson said. "The medical team was quite firm on that point."

"The same medical team that sedated me the second they got there?" Barton said.

"Clint, you bit one of them."

"He had no business trying to cover my mouth."

"He wasn't trying to cover your mouth, he was trying to take your temperature," Coulson said.

"That's not what it felt like."

Tony finally gave in and started laughing. "You two are impossible. Are you doing this on purpose?"

"No, of course not," Coulson said. "In fact, we should all be trying to go back to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day if you want to start making those models, Tony."

"I need to see if a couple of things will work," Tony said.

"Then get some sleep," Barton said with a fond smile.


	99. Chapter 99

"I never got to make model planes as a kid," Barton commented, picking up a wing. "Is this what it's like?"

"I don't know, I was more focused on robots than planes as a kid," Tony said. "JARVIS, adjust the coil width by twenty five percent and run the numbers again."

Coulson looked over. "The model planes kids work on rarely are made out of metal," he said. "They also don't have this level of technology involved in them."

"Still going to be fun to go out and watch 'em fly," Barton said with a grin. 

"Told you, I have all the best toys," Tony said. "There, that's what I'm looking for. I like those numbers, JARVIS. We'll make the test coil off that ratio, but I think that's what we're going to be looking for. Now take that number and run it against fuel consumption based off the existing weight numbers we have for the plane. Let's see how much fuel we need to keep one of these in the air for twenty-four hours with the new materials and fuel involved."

"Coulson," Natasha said from the doorway. "Can I talk to you in private for a minute, please?"

"Be right back, guys," Coulson said. "What's wrong, Natasha?"

"Fury is sending me on an op," she said. "It's a short one, but classified to his office only."

"Is this about India?" Coulson asked.

"Yeah."

"Be careful with this one, Natasha," Coulson said. "We know, broadly, what you're walking into, but intel can only take us so far with this one."

She nodded. "I'll find it, Coulson."

"I know you will. See you when you get back."

"Take care of those two. Tony seems to be improving on the surface, but he's still hurting deep inside."

"I know. He's too much like Clint some days," Coulson said. "I'll be sure to keep an eye on both of them."

"He needs to talk."

"Easier said than done."

"You can do it. You've helped Clint and me through the same thing," Natasha said. She turned to leave. "To truly heal him, you need to be sure nothing festers down under his heart."

Coulson sighed and headed back into the lab. There were few things as cryptic as a Russian assassin, but over the years he'd gotten very good at reading beneath what Natasha was talking about. "Natasha's on an op, Fury's office only."

"Must be big," Barton said. He checked the rivet on the tail of the plane he'd been working on and grinned. "I think this is ready for you to work on, Tony. I'm glad that Nick's letting her back on sensitive ops, Phil. It really was bothering her that she'd been benched."

"He has to be sure," Coulson said. "You know, Tony, when you said model planes to test the integrity of the material, I somehow thought they would be a little smaller."

"I need something that's going to be close to a representation of the wind sheer the plane will be handling at any given time," Tony said. "I don't want to put agents on a plane and have a panel come off in flight because the material tore. Until I'm sure that this will work, we're framing the planes, but not putting the new material on the outside."

"Sir, the numbers indicate a margin of error of less than two percent," JARVIS interjected.

"Until we get that down to under point five, we're not going forward," Tony said. "You can start putting the second plane together, Clint. I'll get the power source and fuel tanks in this one. Phil, we need four types of weather to test these planes in."

"I'll get us clearance to use the weather room in R&D" Coulson replied. "It won't be as much fun, but you can program in whatever type of weather you want in that chamber. I think it's just what you need, Tony."

Tony grinned. "Wicked."


	100. Chapter 100

"Do I want to know?" Fury asked as he stalked into R&D two days later.

"Testing the new materials, Nick," Barton replied with a grin. "Tony let me put them together, aren't they cool?"

Coulson looked over. "I think I'm getting him a few model sets for Christmas, Sir," he said. "We're testing for possible structural problems involved with the new materials under various weather-based situations."

"I want to be sure there aren't going to be sudden tears in the side of the plane," Tony said, coming back out of the tunnel. He'd been securing the first plane for the tests. "That the wings will hold up and things won't suddenly fall apart. I've got a margin of just slightly less than two percent going in today, but it's still too high. That number has to be lower." He jumped when one of the scientists touched his shoulder. "Don't do that. I don't like to be touched.

Barton grabbed the man's hand. "This isn't pre-school," he said shortly. "If someone says they don't like being touched, then get the hell out of their personal space and leave them alone."

"I just wanted to give him this," the man said.

"He doesn't like to be handed things either," Barton said, taking the clipboard. "We've got this. Go away."

"Hawk," Fury said softly.

"Not backing down, Nick," Barton said.

"I'm not asking you to, just try not to traumatize my scientists," Fury said. "They tend to work around things that explode and if they start shaking every time you come down here for something, it could lead to a lot of problems."

Tony took a deep breath. "I'm okay, Clint," he said. "It just startled me. What's on the board?"

"The codes for different weather patterns," Barton said. 

"Awesome, then we're ready to go," Tony said. "Let's see what we can come up with here."

Fury and Coulson retreated to the other side of the lab. "That's a new quirk," Fury commented softly. "How long has Tony not liked being touched?"

"Since his attack, Sir," Coulson said. "He doesn't mind if it's one of the team or Pepper, but it helps if he knows the touch is coming. Clint is the only one that can touch him without any problems."

"He's eccentric, no one should link the two, but what if they do? Then what?"

"I don't see how it can be a problem right now, Sir," Coulson said. "Tony isn't planning to attend any of the social functions for the rest of the year. Pepper is using the new projects as his excuse. When Tony slowly starts going out in public again, he'll have either me or Clint with him to help him feel secure. He's not going to become a recluse, but at the same time, things have changed for him. Drastically in a couple of cases."

"Do you think he'd talk with one of our staff doctors about the rape?" Fury asked.

"I don't because he would have to trust a stranger, which he can't do right now," Coulson said. "He and Clint talk, Nick. It's not every day, but they talk and Tony's working through things in his own way. He'll be able to heal with time."

"Time that we might not have," Fury said. "I had to pull the Avengers off the bench because the WSC was making noises about them. I'm not ready to go up against them, not now, so the team is back on call."

"Who's going to be leading them?"

"Right now, you are," Fury said. "You're on-site, you make the calls based on the intel provided you by the team. As time goes on, I'm going to put Widow in charge and see how that works."

Coulson glanced over. "Maybe a combination leadership of Hawkeye and Widow, Sir," he said. "Between the two of them, they'll see everything."

"We'll see."


	101. Chapter 101

Tony looked over the model plane with a magnifier and sighed. "One tiny tear in the hurricane force winds," he said. "I know that's going to be a rare weather system to attempt to fly through, but I can't risk it. We need to find a way to increase the strength of this material without compromising on weight."

"What if we left the material the same and came up with a paint that would help protect it?" Barton asked. He was sitting on his favorite table in Tony's lab playing catch with Dummy. "Some sort of paint polymer that would prevent tears?"

"Tricky, but it could work," Tony said. "JARVIS, call up all the paints we use for various products and find me one that can be adapted for strength and bonding on an airplane. Clint, I never got a chance to say thank you, but I really appreciate you helping out with that scientists today. He startled me badly."

"I'm always going to be at your back, Tony," Barton said. "You never have to worry that someone will be able to sneak up on you. What was your physical reaction when he touched you? You jumped, but you didn't try to move away. Did you freeze up?"

"No, no it wasn't anything that bad," Tony said. He caught the ball and tossed it back to Dummy. "A little easier on the throws there, Dummy. My heart rate sped up and I was ready to fight, but I didn't feel any fear. Does that make sense?"

Barton nodded. "You've moved from flight to fight, Tony," he said. "That's good, actually. It means you're not wanting to run and hide as much, which is closer to how you were pre-rape. Now I'm not saying that hitting one of the science team in the lab is a good thing, but it's better than wanting to hide under the table."

"I just want it all to be over with, Clint," Tony sighed. "I want to be able to go out and get a hamburger at lunch without worrying about everyone in the crowd. Yeah, okay, it's hard for me to be out in public anyway, people always recognize me, but you know what I mean. I want to be safe in my skin again."

"I think everyone feels like that, Tony," Barton said. "Come here. You're getting better, I can see it every day. It's been almost a year, you know. If you keep going at this pace, I think you'll feel what you consider normal in another six months or so."

Tony sighed again and leaned against Barton. "How am I going to pass six months, Clint?"

"Well, for a start, you can figure out which of those five paints you want to try first," Barton said, pointing at the monitor. "Looks like we've got more tests to run, doesn't it?"

"That was fast, J, what did you find?" Tony asked.

"These five paints have been used for the limited space-related work that Stark Industries has been involved with," JARVIS replied. "I believe they will be stronger than any paint we use limited to the Earth. The last one is the base used for your armor, Sir."

"I've been meaning to ask, Tony, why gold and red?" Barton asked.

"The original was metal, silver I guess, because that's all I had to work with in the cave," Tony replied. "When I came back, the alloy I wanted to use was gold and that's how it rendered when JARVIS made up the design for me. I thought the gold was too pretentious and the first thing I saw for other color was one of my cars. That was the red."

Barton grinned. "You're never understated, are you, Stark?" he asked.

"You can talk, Mr. Purple suit," Tony said with a grin. "I've seen what your original suit looked like, you know."

"It was based off my costume in the circus," Barton said. "I told them flat there was no way in hell I would go out in the field in anything that flashy because I'm a sniper and spy. Nick eventually had to step in for me. They were actually going to send me out in that piece of crap."

Tony twisted around and looked up at Barton. "Do you want a new suit?" he asked. "Something a little harder to get hurt in? I can totally do that for you, if you want."

"Hush." Barton kissed Tony's forehead. "My suit now is fine. You focus on this and lets get the buses up in the air, Tony. I'm not planning to jump off any buildings any time soon, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Tony said. "I still reserve the right to make you one in the future though."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."


	102. Chapter 102

Coulson looked up from the file he was reading when he realized it was too quiet in the room. Tony and Barton had come up from the lab around nine, still talking about paints, polymers, and planes. The discussion lasted through dinner and Coulson finally tuned them out to get some other work caught up. "Clint?"

"Hey," Barton said, appearing from somewhere behind Coulson's chair. "Tony's asleep. I think going out still wears him out pretty badly. Not that he'll ever admit it."

"How are you holding up?" Coulson asked. "We never really talked about your last mission. I know Fury took care of the debrief, but did you want to talk with me, too?"

"Only if you want me to," Barton said. He slid down into the chair, pushing Coulson to the side a little. "I didn't kill anyone while I was out, just took down names and brought information, along with a couple of people, back to Nick. I didn't even have to interrogate them."

"Good. You're hot in that outfit, but I always worry about you when you have to let that darker side out," Coulson said. He wrapped an arm around his lover. "Things just keep moving on us, don't they, Clint?"

Barton nodded. "Yep. Honestly, I'm still waiting for the call to assemble," he said. "What's going to happen then?"

"For now, I'll be on-site to make the calls based on radio communications and other intel," Coulson said. "Fury wants to try Natasha was team leader."

"Nat won't take it, not unless it's a direct order," Barton said. "You know she'd rather follow orders than make calls in a battle. Give her a spy mission or an infiltration and she's in her element, but battle, she's not the right pick for this. I can see why Nick wants to try, but it's not going to work."

"Who would you pick then?" Coulson asked.

"I'll be able to make long distance calls, but it's possible having me so far away from the actual battle could mean I would miss something," Barton replied. "It's not likely, but if it's as messy as the last one, something could happen to Nat or Bruce and I wouldn't catch it. Tony's going to be moving constantly, but his confidence is still coming back to where it was before. Hulk is obvious."

"That's not an answer," Coulson said.

"We're a team," Barton said. "I know that Nick wants to have a leader for the team, but I don't think we need one. We've all grown closer this year, I think that we'll be able to work without anyone in the middle of everything making the calls."

"It won't work. Fury's going to say that every team needs a leader."

Barton twisted around a little. "Do they though?" he asked. "We'll have intel going into the fight. Tony and I can call out information as we're going. We need another fighter on the ground, someone to fight back-to-back with Nat, but I'm sure Nick has an idea for that spot because we're not letting Rogers out in a battle. I don't care what sort of breakthroughs he's had, I'll put an arrow through his eye before I let him near Tony."

"Nick won't let him out," Coulson said. "We've tipped to the WSC playing around on our bases thanks to your investigations into their activities and things are being taken care of there. Rogers needs time alone to think through what happened to him, what he's done and what changes he wants to make in his life. It won't be easy for him, but the last report said he's stopped fighting with the doctors."

"That's something, I suppose. How's Peggy holding up talking to him?"

"Better than expected. I think having him safely contained and her with an escort helps a lot," Coulson said. "She's a remarkable woman, Clint. We knew that on some level, but this is just proving it, I think. It can't be easy on her to be in the same room with a man she trusted and who left her alone when she was injured and an enemy patrol was approaching, but Peggy's not showing Rogers how hard it is for her."

"I wish there was another way, something that wouldn't hurt anyone else," Barton sighed.

"I think, and this is opinion because I haven't really had a chance to speak with her, that Peggy is using this time as therapy for herself as well," Coulson said. "It's a chance for her to say everything she's always wanted to say to Rogers and know that he's hearing her. He might not respond, but he's hearing her. As hard as this is for her, I think it's also giving her peace."

"Do you think there will ever be a chance for Tony to get the same peace?"

"It's up to him," Coulson said. "Just like everything else, it's his choice."


	103. Chapter 103

Tony walked into the airplane factory and looked around. There were a lot of places to get trapped, but he had two solid presences at his back, so he took a deep breath and headed forward. There was a large frame in the middle of the floor, the skeleton of the bus. "Mr. Stark," the foreman said, catching sight of him. "We weren't expecting you today, Sir. What can I do to help you?"

"I wanted to see where we were with the project," Tony said. "The material for the shell of the plane is ready to go. I've put it through every test possible and, when combined with the new paint we're going to be using, will hold up to a hurricane. Walk me through what you have here."

"Yes, Sir. We're going to have to make the planes one at a time owing to their size, but you can see it didn't take us that long to put the skeleton together," the foreman said. "We're standing by, waiting for your okay to continue."

"You have it," Tony said. "What's the timeline on getting the panels on?"

"A week max," the foreman said. "Then we'll put her through a few tests to be sure everything took before painting her. We're also going to put in a few things, run the wires and other internals before we put the shell on."

Tony pulled his sunglasses down a little. "How long have you been on stand-by?" he asked.

"Less than a day, Sir."

"Okay, that I can live with, but you could have been working on the electronics, floors and fuel tanks while you were waiting," Tony said. "I don't like to see people just standing around. Find a way to keep them working. We need to have these planes delivered on time and that's not going to happen if people are just standing around."

"Sir, one problem we are having is with the power coils you sent over," the foreman said, pointing towards the plane. "We can't work out how to fit them in."

"Which is one of the reasons I'm here," Tony said. "Those are based off my arc reactor tech that we're using for clean energy in buildings in New York. I haven't had a chance to train anyone on it's use, yet, so I have to handle it. My associate has a list of the tools I'll need and I can have the coils in by tonight."

Barton handed over a list, expression not changing a bit. The foreman took it and looked through the three pages. "We have everything, I'll let you get started on setting up whatever you need and we'll bring you over the tools," he said. "Where do you want them?"

"Just outside the frame," Tony said. "They'll have to be handed in for me to work with them. Thanks for the work you've done so far. This is impressive and I think we'll be able to get things back on schedule."

"We'll do our best, Sir."

Coulson looked over when they were alone. "Do you want me to check through the files in their office while you're working, Tony?" he asked. 

"Yeah, please. I want to make sure the money I'm putting into this is going where it's supposed to be going," Tony replied. "Clint, what do you think?"

"You're safe here," Barton said. "No one has even glanced at you since you walked in. I'll sit close to where you're working, Tony."

"Thanks," Tony said with a small smile. "I don't know if I like the lack of attention. I'm used to people at least glancing at me."

"It's possible they have and it's without turning their heads," Barton said. "I'm just not picking up on any obvious interest from anyone in the room."

"Good. That's good. It means I can fit those coils, get the chips for ANNIE and JUNIOR in place and we can go home," Tony said. He started towards the plane, eyes taking in everything. "If this all works out, Clint, I think that we're going to be able to do other types of planes. How many people will that help?"

Barton shrugged. "I don't know that the number can be calculated, Tony," he said. "I think your next plane should have a way to contain explosions in the cargo hold without bringing the plane down. It'll be complicated, but if anyone can do it, you can."


	104. Chapter 104

"I think we need to find you more hands-on work, Tony," Barton commented later that night when they were back in the Tower. JARVIS had ordered them couple of pizzas and they were watching a movie with Bruce. "You're more relaxed when you're doing things with your hands then you are when you're in the lab running numbers or trying new ideas on the computer."

"It helps me relax," Tony said with a small sigh. "I've always liked building things, it's part of me. I think that, if they'd known about ADHD and all that crap back when I was a kid, I would have been diagnosed with it, but I don't really know what all it entails. It's possible that I'm just naturally hyper and caffeine doesn't help matters any."

Bruce looked over. "I've noticed you're more relaxed when you have something physical to do, Tony," he said. "Even if it's poking at me."

"I never thought I'd find people who could accept me for who I am," Tony admitted. "I've always done better with robots and machines rather than people. Ask anyone."

"I still say that's because no one gave you a fair chance, Tony," Barton said. "Hey, Phil, wondered where you got to."

"Natasha's home," Coulson said. "She got it."

Barton grinned. "Wicked."

"What did she get?" Bruce asked. "I wasn't even aware she was on an op."

"Director Fury sent her to recover an artifact from up north," Coulson replied. "It's still top secret at this time, but we believe that this will help us in our ongoing discussions with the members of the WSC."

Tony twisted around so he could look up at Barton. "How do you know about this?" he asked.

"It's something I found out about when I was out on mission for Nick," Barton said. "Nat's the best one to go in and recover it though."

"I miss India," Bruce said.

"Do you want to go back?" Coulson asked.

"No. Don't get me wrong, I love it here," Bruce said. "You guys have all accepted not only me, but the Big Guy too, and, like Tony says, I never thought I'd be able to have that. I'm able to do good here, too, but there's something very special about India that I don't know if I can describe."

"We'll send you on a trip for Christmas or something," Tony said with a grin. "We can totally do that. In fact, we could all go, make a real trip out of it. I think I'd enjoy getting to see India, not just the business centers I've been in before for work."

"Next year sometime," Bruce said. "It's rougher than you think it is, Tony, and you're still recovering. I don't want you to put yourself in a situation where you could suffer a relapse because you think it's something I'd enjoy doing. India will always be there."

"Let's get you to the point where you can be out without me glued to your back," Barton said, carding his fingers through Tony's hair. "I'll be close, but it's crowded there and we could get separated, Tony. I don't want you having a panic attack."

Tony nodded and leaned into the touch. "Okay," he said. "I guess I've been doing better, haven't I?"

"You're certainly sleeping better," Coulson said. "I don't think you've had a nightmare since you started on this most recent project. You're healing, Tony. Every day, you're getting that little bit better and one day you'll wake up and realize that you've moved on. We already know you're a survivor, but I think you'll get to the point where, even on idle days, you won't think about Rogers or the rape."

"It's been there for so long, I don't know if I'll ever move past it," Tony said softly. "You guys seem sure that I will, but what if I can't? What if it always comes back to haunt me when I'm not doing an involved project?"

"Then we'll hold you through the nightmares and have ice cream at two in the morning," Barton said. "We're not going to leave you, Tony. Not for any reason at all, so you don't worry about that."

"What if I can't ever face Rogers again?" Tony asked. "What then?"

"Then you don't," Coulson replied. He sat down at Tony's feet and rubbed his leg slowly. "Facing your attacker is not a required part of your recovery, Tony. Many people find that it helps them, others find that it doesn't. That's your choice and all of us will support whichever one you make. Never, ever feel like you have to go and see Rogers. Forcing you to do that would only hurt you again, and we are not going to do that to you."

"Promise?" Tony asked.

"Hey, promise," Barton said. "You do what you need to do, Tony. We'll be here every step of the way."


	105. Chapter 105

Tony groaned when the alarm went off. "Why can't bad guys attack at a decent hour?" he asked, rolling over.

"Morning commute time," Coulson replied, shifting out of bed and grabbing his phone on the way. "Suit up, you two. Let's go see what sort of mess they're trying to make out of New York this time."

"Meet you at the jet," Barton said. He headed towards the elevator and his suit on a lower level. Coulson, somehow, was able to read the intel coming in on his phone while getting dressed in a suit. Tony just shook his head, not wanting to ask, and headed towards the smaller elevator that would take him down to his private landing pad. It would be the first battle in the new suit, and he was curious to see how it worked.

"How's it looking, JARVIS?" Tony asked, once he was encased in metal.

"All systems are functioning normally, Sir," JARVIS replied. "The team is leaving should you wish to join them in the jet."

"I'll fly along side," Tony said. "I need to get a feel for this new design before I start trying to fight anything in it." He took off and did a few wide loops around the jet, catching a grin from Barton as he passed. "The knees don't feel quite as flexible as they should be, J. What's going on there?"

"They will go into full operational mode once you land, Sir," JARVIS said. "The coding for this suit was far more complex than any you have designed in the past owning to the newer material and design. I was forced to stabilize your flight abilities by locking your suit's knee joints in place during flight. You can override the lock in battle, but for general flight, you should leave it as it is."

Tony glanced over the readouts. "We need to figure something else out, JARVIS. This is fine for today, test flight and fight all in one, but I need more mobility when I'm flying," he said. "This feels too much like being trapped and I don't want to feel that again."

"We may have to find a compromise, Sir," JARVIS said. "This design eliminates joins where the suit can be torn open, but it means there is less flight stability. I'm recording everything so you can make adjustments post-battle."

"Wicked," Tony said. "Patch me into the general team com, J. What are we fighting today, Agent?"

"Some sort of robots in Time Square," Coulson replied. "The good news is that they're not interested in people, just cars and other electronics. The bad news is that cell phones seem to count as electronics."

"Want me to go and do a fly-over, get you some updated pictures?" Tony asked.

"Do not engage, Iron Man," Coulson said.

"Fly over and back to you guys," Tony replied with a grin. "I promise."

"Confirmed," Coulson said. "Let me know what you're seeing there, Tony."

Tony took off towards Time Square, keeping up high in case the robots had some sort of fire power. "Scan 'em, JARVIS," he said. "What are we looking at?"

"A simple construction," JARVIS replied. "But strong. I would estimate that someone has been watching Star Wars and decided to recreate the droid army that attempted a takeover of Naboo."

"Which means they'll have weapons," Tony said. "Which droids are you thinking?"

"There are energy shields in place, Sir. The destroyer droids along with what appear to be walkers of some sort," JARVIS said.

"Agent, are you getting this?" Tony asked.

"Leave it to a bad guy to mock Star Wars," Barton replied. "We're on the ground, Tony, and heading in. Do you think you can manage to get those shields down for us?"

"I'll see what I can do," Tony said. "JARVIS, work out their frequency and we'll blast them with an alternate frequency of some sort. What the hell? JARVIS, what's going on with the suit?"

"I do not know, Sir," JARVIS replied. "I am attempting to take control again."

"Tony?"

"I'm on a crash course to the ground," Tony said. "Someone has taken over my suit and I want to know who."

Barton growled. "I'm moving to intercept," he said. "Talk to me, Tony."

"I don't know," Tony said. "This is impossible. No one should be able to take over the suit like this. No one knows my designs, they're secure on my private server at the Tower. JARVIS, get me control back."

"I'm almost there, Sir," JARVIS said.

"Shit," Tony said. "Clint, Rogers is there I'm going to crash."

"What the hell?" Barton demanded. "He's secure under a mountain. Coulson, what the actual hell is going on here?"

"I'll find out," Coulson said.

Tony hit the ground hard and skipped a few times, landing right at Rogers' feet. He was still trying to get his baring when the suit opened and started to fold back. "Oh, no, no, no," he said.

Rogers took two steps forward and three arrows suddenly appeared in his eyes and mouth. Tony scrambled out of the way as the larger man fell forwards and lay still. "I've got you, Tony," Barton said. "Nat, confirm that bastard is dead."

"Dead," Natasha said. "Come on, Tony, let's go behind Clint."

Barton stepped forward and kicked Rogers hard, rolling him over. He pulled his arrows out and tossed them to the side before kneeling down and cutting the mask off the man. "It's not Rogers," he reported. "Coulson, confirm, target is not Steve Rogers."

"Confirmed, Hawkeye; Rogers is still in his cell," Coulson said.

"Someone on the WSC is going to die for this," Barton said.


	106. Chapter 106

"Do you have any idea how many people were there with cell phone cameras, Barton?" Fury asked, pacing back and forth behind his desk. "Do you know how many videos are now on the internet of you shooting Captain America in the head?"

"Hundreds, I would guess," Barton replied. He kicked back in his chair and balanced on the rear legs. "I didn't shoot that bastard in the head, Nick. I shot him once in each eye and once in the mouth. A head shot wouldn't have stopped him and he was going for Tony."

Fury paused mid-turn and glared. "That is beside the point, Hawkeye," he said. "I need team unity to be the biggest point we have. There is now video evidence that you would shoot Captain America should he come back in battle."

"Nick, Tony's suit opened on its own when he crashed. There was a man heading towards him that I thought was Steve Rogers," Barton said. His chair thudded forward and he stood up, leaning over the desk. "I don't give a damn how many videos there are of that. Tony was in danger, I saved him. Mission complete, time to move on to the fact that the WSC somehow has a code that will give them control over Tony's suits. I think that's a bigger problem than me eliminating a threat to one of my team."

"Your face is visible on the video," Fury shouted. "How many deep cover ops have been blown because of this?"

"Who cares?" Barton shouted back. "Any deep cover op that was depending on me to go back in is at least ten years old, if not older. I haven't been deep cover since you decided to put me on the Avengers. There are other agents that can finish those ops far better than I can because they will be familiar with the mission parameters. Right now, my focus is on the Avengers and helping to keep Tony safe in the field. If I can't do that, then I'm turning in my bow and I will walk away from all of this, Nick."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Do you really want to test that?"

"Are you two done shouting at each other?" Coulson asked from the door.

"No, go away, Coulson," Fury replied.

Barton stopped and started laughing. "Nick, we want the same thing, but from two different directions," he said. "This is really stupid."

"I don't know, I sure as hell feel better," Fury said. "Come here, Hawk. You're my boy, you know that, right?"

"I know, Nick. You know I'm not leaving, right?"

"I know," Fury said. He gave Barton a hard hug and then turned back to the man still standing just inside the door. "How the hell did this happen, Phil?"

Coulson moved into the office and handed Fury a coffee cup from the shop down the street from base. "We're looking into that, Sir," he said. "However, Tony has now locked himself in his lab and is refusing to come out again regardless of who needs him. This shook him badly and I do not know that he will bounce back from today's events."

"I need to get to him," Barton said. "Nick?"

"Go on, Hawk, he needs you more than I do right now," Fury said. "I'll send your nutcase of a partner home when I'm done hashing this out."

"Nutcase, Sir?" Coulson asked.

"You picked 'em, Phil," Fury replied. "Do we know for a fact that this was the WSC masterminding the events today?"

Coulson sat down in the chair Hawkeye had been using and pulled a tablet out from somewhere. Fury had learned never to ask when it came to Coulson's suits. "We do, Sir," he said. "The robots were operating on a frequency that the WSC created and has kept secret from the world. We do not know where the robots came from, or if their purpose was anything other than drawing the Avengers out of the Tower, but I have a team dissecting them to find out more."

"Find out which member of the Council authorized this crap and I'll take care of it," Fury said. "They thing they're playing hardball messing with my team like that, they haven't seen nothing yet."

"Indeed, Sir," Coulson said. "If I might suggest, Sir, Agent Romanov would be the best to recover the package in this case. Agent Barton and myself can question them to loosen them up for you."

Fury grinned. "I like it," he said. "Get me answers, Phil."

"As fast as I can, Sir."


	107. Chapter 107

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys.  
> Surprise. *grins* I forgot to mention yesterday that my days off have changed so my updates this week and next week will be Sun-Thurs. Then I'm heading off on holiday and won't have computer access, so from roughly Nov 18 - Dec 4, there will be no story updates. Should make my detractors happy anyway. I'm going to London for the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Celebration. I promise I'll write while I'm away, as best I can, and have some updates when I'm home again.
> 
> As always, thank you all for being amazing readers. You make writing these stories a joy. :)

Barton hurried into the Tower and down to the lab level where he found the door locked. "JARVIS?"

"He has overridden all protocols, Sir," JARVIS said.

"Doesn't surprised me a bit," Barton said. He sighed and headed down the hall to where there was a vent access. "These are still coded to me, right? He didn't change that?"

"You still have access."

"Good." He opened the vent cover and pushed up into it, shutting and locking the cover behind him. "JARVIS, what the hell happened with the suit? I thought that no one was able to hack the code used on those."

"I am unsure, Sir," JARVIS said. "I am currently running checks on all systems to attempt to locate a possible door into the system. However, Mr. Stark's private server should have been untouched. The suit's information, protocols, designs and test information is all there and no one should be able to access that."

"You'll figure it out, J," Barton said. "Right now we have one very panicked and traumatized man to help out." He paused over his usual access vent and looked down into the labs. "Where is he?"

"In the back of the lab, behind the sofa," JARVIS replied. "Shall I tell him you're in the vents?"

"Please. I don't want to scare him coming down onto my table. I know I always land hard and it rattles," Barton said.

"One moment, Sir."

Barton waited for the okay to drop down into the lab. He wasn't sure how the WSC managed to take control of the suit, how they managed to hack into Stark Industries private servers, or how the hell they got information on the suits, but they signed their death warrants when they put Tony in harm's way. Barton would wait for the okay from Fury, but he wasn't going to sit idly by and let politics take care of the problem. Not with how badly Tony was hurt by their actions.

"You may proceed, Sir," JARVIS said.

"Thanks, J," Barton said. He dropped down onto his table and reached up to resecure the vent cover behind him. "Hey there, Dummy. How's my favorite bot? Tony, it's me. Do you think you can come out and talk?"

"No."

"Can I come over and join you?"

"No."

"Okay." Barton sat down on his table and held out a hand to Dummy, offering a scratch. "Tony, we know who did this and we're going to take care of it. JARVIS is running every scan he can think of, but I think it's going to take your amazing brain to figure out how they managed to get in here."

"It's like the attack all over again," Tony said. "The WSC, they broke into my systems, my computers and took something that's a part of me. The suits and I are one. I've always said it, and they took that away from me. They sent in a man posing as my attacker and left me open and vulnerable in the middle of the street. I hit hard enough that I wouldn't be able to fight."

"Do you need me to check you over for a concussion?" Barton asked. "I want you to be healthy, Tony."

"What would the guy have done if you hadn't been there?" Tony asked. "What would he have done to me?"

"We never have to find out," Barton said. "Tony, I told Nick that I would resign from SHIELD to keep you safe. I don't care what it takes, what I have to do, but I will always be there at your back. If it means killing a man to keep you safe, then I will. Screw the media. They don't know you like I do. They don't know why I shot that guy without even trying to talk to him.

"Who was he?"

"We don't know. SHIELD will find out, but my best guess is one of the WSC sent a flunky over to do their dirty work," Barton said. "You trust me, right, Tony?"

"Yeah."

"Can you trust me to keep you safe, even if you get scared?"

"I don't know."

Barton had been expecting that answer. The attack in the field had set Tony back by at least six months, if not longer. The WSC couldn't have hit a better spot if they tried. "JARVIS, will you order us some supper?" he asked. "I don't know about Tony, but I'm starving and haven't had a chance to eat today."

"What would you like, Sir?"

"What do you think you can eat, Tony?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Get us cheeseburgers, J," Barton said. "The smell will either be too much for you, Tony, or you'll get hungry. Either way, I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere."


	108. Chapter 108

Dummy took the bag with Tony's dinner in it over the couch and put it down where he would be able to reach it, chirping sadly as he backed away. Barton's heart twisted a little at the sight, but didn't say anything. "JARVIS, is Phil home yet?" he asked.

"No, Sir. He is in a briefing about the robots that you encountered earlier today," JARVIS replied. "I am routing some files to your tablet, should you wish to know what they have located."

"How'd you get it, JARVIS?" Barton said.

"JUNIOR routed it to me," JARVIS replied.

"Son of a bitch," the sofa said.

Barton looked over. "Tony."

"The new AIs," Tony said, coming out from his hiding place, burger in one hand. "Those bastards, they not only got into my system, they're messing with my babies. JARVIS, run scans on ANNIE and JUNIOR. Make sure they're both okay. Then close off all systems coming into the Tower. I don't care what it is, shut it down and run scans on the channels coming in. The arc reactor will keep the Tower powered until we're sure the outside lines are clear. Those sons of bitches, they touched my tech."

"What are you thinking, Tony?" Barton asked.

"The Tower is pretty much self-contained when it comes to power, but we still have cabling running into the building for a couple of services," Tony said. He put his burger down and went over to his main desk. "Including TV and powering the outside lights. That's power going out, not coming in, but it's still possible to send bugs along it if you know what you're doing with computers, and the WSC, bastards that they are, know about computers. They're not as good as me, but I can only imagine they have people almost as good as me. The baby AIs are connected the a server here as a back-up. I didn't tell Nick about that one, but I wanted to be sure that nothing happened to them. Once a bug was in my system, and this is something J didn't pick up on, it's theoretically possible they could have hacked my private server."

"Sir, I have found the portal," JARVIS said, an image appearing in the air in front of Tony.

Tony studied it closely, checking over every switch and check there. "That's how they did it," he said. "They used an uplink through ANNIE to get in here. Those bastards. JARVIS, have ANNIE run a diagnostic to be sure she's okay and then you get back into SHIELD's computers. See what other little bombs have been planted."

"So how did they hack ANNIE in the first place?" Barton asked. He pushed a milkshake across the table to Tony, who picked it up without thinking.

"They have someone on the inside that we didn't catch in our sweep," Tony replied. "Give me a day, Barton. Give me one day and these creeps will find out why it's such a bad idea to mess with me and my tech. They are going to pay."  
****

Coulson was reviewing one of the robots when his phone rang. "Go, Barton."

"Sir, the WSC managed to hack the Tower, JARVIS and ANNIE," Barton replied. "Tony is working on a list of files they got into both here and in SHIELD, but there's a mole on the inside. Someone put this bug into our system, Coulson. Someone in our organization set out to intentionally harm Tony."

"Stand down, Hawkeye," Coulson said. "I'm heading for Fury's office now. How's Stark doing?"

"He's a mess. The only thing keeping him going right now are thoughts of revenge. I can't get near him, Phil," Barton said. "He won't let me touch him."

"About as we expected then," Coulson said. "We'll find them, Barton. We will find the bastard that started all of this and then we will trace back to whichever member ordered this strike. Then we will strike where they are least expecting us to."

"Five minutes with the one that ordered all of this, Phil. That's all I ask. Five minutes."

"That's affirmative, Hawkeye," Coulson said. "Hold on. Director Fury, Sir, Mr. Stark has identified the source of the problem and is working on a solution at the time. We have a mole in our organization that was able to gain access to the room where ANNIE and JUNIOR are based and uploaded a virus that was untraceable until this point in time."

Barton winced at the swearing he could hear over the phone. "I'm going to keep at it here, Phil. I'll call back when I know more."

"Talk to you then. Take care of Tony," Coulson said. He tucked his phone away and looked at Fury. "They want a war, Sir."

"Then they have one," Fury said.


	109. Chapter 109

Coulson was already in the interrogation room when the tech was led in and secured to the chair. "What am I doing here, Sir?" he asked, breaking off suddenly when Coulson's finger shot out and pointed at him. Rumors about Coulson were very explicit about that finger and what it meant when he pointed it at anyone, so the tech swallowed hard and sat quietly while Coulson finished reading through the folder in his hand.

"Ben Davis," Coulson finally said, looking up from the folder. "Part of the tech and information sector of SHIELD. Been employed for ten years with a clean service record until six months ago when you got into a fight with a superior officer. You were suspended for two weeks with no pay and, during that time, suffered a default on your home loan. You have since made up the payments and are back in the house house. Where did you get that much money?"

"My parents, Sir," Ben replied.

"Are you sure of that?" Coulson asked.

"Yes, Sir."

"Your father died in a car accident in 1999," Coulson said, dropping the folder on the desk. "Your mother from a heart attack three years later. Now, unless they left you a very complicated life insurance policy or had money hidden in their basement, I seriously doubt that they were able to provide you with the half a million you needed to stop the bank foreclosing on your home. You do not lie to me, Ben. You do not lie at all."

Ben went pale. "I'm not lying to you."

"No? Then why do we have video footage of you in a classified secure room working with one of the computer servers there when you are not cleared for access to that room?" Coulson asked. 

"I don't know, Sir."

"We've done blood tests to be sure that you are who you say you are," Coulson said, picking up the folder again. "Our cameras have been modified to show us if someone is using a cloaking device, magic or any other form of shape-shifting ever since the infiltration just prior to the Battle of New York. Unless you have a twin working for SHIELD, you were in that room, and I want to know why. I want to know why you turned your back on SHIELD and took up with a group working to destroy us."

"I didn't."

"We'll see," Coulson said. "Director Fury is against torture at this time, but I believe there is someone that would like to talk with you about this. Widow."

Natasha appeared out of the shadows and stopped next to Coulson. "Ben, this is the Black Widow," Coulson said. "She knows how to question a man without touching him. Without hurting him. Without breaking him, but you will tell her the truth because she will know when you lie and trust me, she doesn't like it when you lie."

"I'll get the answers, Coulson," Natasha said. "I won't lay a hand on him."

"Yet," Coulson said. "I'll be in the other room, Widow."  
****

"We're sure it's him?" Fury asked when Coulson joined him in the observation room.

"Unless the WSC has come up with a cloaking device to fool our cameras and biological sensors, yes, Sir," Coulson replied. "He has motive, Nick. He needed money to save his live away from SHIELD."

"How the hell did he afford a house like that in the first place?" Fury asked.

"Won the lottery," Coulson said. "Seriously. It's on record."

Fury snorted. "How's Tony doing?"

"Not good, Sir, but he has worked out which member of the WSC ordered this recent attack," Coulson said. "Apparently there was a very obvious tell in the tech used. I'm going to send Natasha to pick him up. I think that this will be the last mistake he ever makes."


	110. Chapter 110

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys. My apologies for not updating yesterday. I had to stay up late to do some stuff for my trip and, as I suffer from fibromyalgia, threw myself into a flare bad enough that I was forced to stay home for a day and couldn't focus on anything. I'm doing better and am back to a semi-regular routine, including updates.
> 
> Thanks for your patience. :) My last update before my trip will be Sunday, Nov. 17th.

Barton finished the tea and handed the closed mug to Dummy. "Here you go, take this to Tony," he said. "Tony, you've got a drink incoming."

"I'm not thirsty."

"Humor me?" Barton asked. "It's herbal tea, one of Bruce's, with some honey in it. I'm just really worried about you, Tony, and don't know what the best thing is to do right now."

Tony took the cup from Dummy and set it down next to him. "I'm almost done," he said. "JARVIS, what does the server look like now?"

"The bug has been eliminated from your personal server and seventy percent of the Tower's server system," JARVIS replied. "I am now starting a virus check at the Stark Industry sever banks around the world. Run time estimated at ten hours, Sir."

"Sweet. Let's get this bug isolated, contained, and then send it back to the ones that created it," Tony said. "How did they take command of the suit, J?"

"I am still uncertain of that, Sir. In theory, such an attack should be impossible."

Barton looked over. "Tony, there's one common piece between suit and Tower," he said. "Is it possible they managed to hitch a ride on JARVIS?"

"In theory, yes," Tony said. He sipped the tea and went back to the computer. "Although JARVIS should have picked up on that. His protocols aren't well known, I've been sure to keep them secret, but everyone knows he's here and I suppose it's possible that they made something that could ride with him. How 'bout it, J?"

"Scanning now, Sir," JARVIS said.

"Regardless, I have to scrap everything in the current suits and start over," Tony said. "From the beginning. I need to be sure there's nothing lurking there that can be used to take me out like that again." He looked down at the desk. "I thought I was going to die, Clint. When I lost control of the suit, it was like being back in that vortex to the other universe. I was trapped and they could have done anything they wanted to me."

"We stopped them, Tony," Barton said softly. "I know what it is to be taken over. I know exactly what you felt at that moment you lost control. You beat it, though. You're fighting back and you're going to win through."

"Like you did?"

"Nat's the one that saved me," Barton said. "I was heading right back to Loki when she caught me and slammed me into that railing. Phil's the only other one that would have been able to fight me there and win because, even brain-washed like I was, I would have hurt him. I was trying to kill Nat. If she hadn't bit me like she did, I would have."

Tony looked over. "She's sneaky like that," he said. "Okay, got it. Let's have a look at this little bug that's trying to ruin my home."

"Can I come over and look, Tony? I promise I won't get too close."

"Yeah, just, move if I ask?"

"Of course," Barton said. He slipped off his table and walked over, standing an arms-reach away. "Such a tiny little thing to cause so much trouble."

"It's a replicating bug," Tony said. "I need to work out what other files it got into. It's possible the WSC knows what we have on them, Clint. I know I have an ego, but I can't imagine I'm the only reason for something like this. They wanted something."

There was a click behind them. Barton spun around, knife out. One of the suits had stepped away from its dock. "Tony, get behind me, now," he said.

"JARVIS, override protocol," Tony snapped. "Blow the bastards up."

"Sir."

Barton turned and caught Tony, rolling them under the desk just before the suits started to explode one by one. "Sorry, Tony," he said, rolling away quickly. "I didn't know how else to get you safe."

"It's okay. It's fine," Tony said. "Actually, could you maybe come back? I forgot how safe you feel. I'm sorry, Clint."

"Oh, Tony," Barton said. He pulled the other man back into a hug. "Never be sorry for what you need. Phil and I are here. We're not leaving you. If you need space, you get space. If you need time, you get time."

"Right now, we need a broom," Tony sighed. "JARVIS, everything blown to bits out there?"

"Indeed, Sir," JARVIS said. "It would seem the WSC wishes the suit technology for themselves."

"They didn't copy anything off the server, did they?"

"Not that I can tell, Sir," JARVIS said. "However, there are two materials that we use in the suit that only we have access to. Should they attempt to recreate a suit of their own, then they will find icing to be a problem, and they will not be able to power it for long."

Barton kissed Tony on the top of the head and slid out from under the table. "Wow," he said. "Want me to start sweeping, Tony?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind," Tony said. "I need to let Nick know about this new problem. I want to know what they were doing in my computers, Clint. I want to know what they want from me."

"We'll find out, Tony," Barton said. "Thanks, Dummy. Then we'll stop them and make sure that they don't try something like this again."


	111. Chapter 111

Fury might have been an evil bastard when he was working, but when Tony's face showed up on the monitor, Fury let everything soften. "What's going on, Tony?"

"The WSC had full control of my suits," Tony replied. "Everything's gone, Nick. We had to blow them up to keep those bastards from taking them. Clint's sweeping up the remains, but I have numbers for you and you're not going to like them."

"They're trying to start a war to replace me, aren't they?" Fury asked. "They removed me from power and shut down my Helicarrier when the bomb was deployed. Only reason I was reinstated was because we won."

"I think there's something big coming, Nick," Tony said. "Something that's going to mess up everything we've been working for, but I don't know what it is yet."

"If there's anyone who can figure it out, it's you," Fury said. "Coulson and Romanov have just finished interrogating our mole and have enough information to bring in the next step. I'm hoping that they won't see it coming, but I don't know. How secure are our computers?"

Tony sighed. "Not nearly as secure as I would like them to be," he said. "I'll get it fixed. I can seal things up now that I know what I'm looking for, but this attack was sneaky. It came out of nowhere and it got past JARVIS. That should be enough to tell you what we're up against."

"Is this hacker better than you?" Fury asked.

"No one is better than me," Tony replied. "Seriously, I can turn this back on them and use it to get information for us, it'll just take me a day or two. I'll get us taken care of, Nick, but you need to know that they had free access to the servers both here and for SHIELD for at least a week, if not longer. I don't know what all they took, but it's possible they have the suit and they're going to try and create one of their own. It won't be nearly as good as mine and I can take care of it, but I wanted to let you know."

"I appreciate at it," Fury said. "I'm going to talk to Coulson about a few things, Tony. Keep searching and let me know what you find."

"I will."

The feed went dead and Fury sighed. There was only one reason the WSC could want the suit and hidden details about the Avengers, and he didn't want to even think about it.  
****

"Sir, we're secure," Coulson said, putting the scanner down on the table. "Never thought I would be using this room for meetings."

"I thought we decided the secure room wasn't going to be built," Fury said.

"You never know what you're going to need, Sir," Coulson said with a small smile. "Natasha is in the wind. We'll be dark until she comes back, it's the only way to be sure her operation is a success, not knowing what parts of our system are still infiltrated."

Fury sat down at the table with a sigh. "They're trying to make a team of their own, Phil," he said. "Those bastards are going to come at us with a team of their own and kill everything I've been working for."

"Are you certain, Sir?"

"Tony said they took control of the suit and he had to blow them up," Fury said. "That tells me they were trying to get the tech. You know they didn't want the Hulk on our team, and it was only thanks to you, Jasper and Stark that we won that round. I'm moving Captain America to a secure location that only I know about. I don't want to risk them breaking him out of prison for any reason."

Coulson nodded. "We need to be ready for an attack from a team equal to our own," he said. "I'll get in touch with Thor and talk with the others. We need another power hitter on the team, Nick."

"I know, and I'm working on it," Fury said. "I have three people in mind, but I'm having a hard time tracking one of them down. If we have to, there are other teams we can call in to help us, but I want to avoid an all-our war between super beings if at all possible. Aliens are bad enough. Think what would happen if two groups went against each other."

"Too many civilians would be hurt and killed for no reason," Coulson said. "Where is Tony in fixing the leak?"

"I'm not sure, but he said he can fix it. I believe him," Fury said. "Barton was there, I could see him in the background and Tony didn't know it, but Barton was talking to me in code with his hands the whole time Tony was reporting in."

"What did Clint have to say?"

"That Tony's still skittish and probably won't be able to go out if the Avengers are needed," Fury said. "Hell, he can't without a suit, so that's a dead end right now anyway. Clint's doing his best to get Tony to eat and drink, but it's being a battle. The WSC couldn't have hit a better spot if they tried."

Coulson sighed. "Tony is strong, Sir, and their attack on his home, on JARVIS, made it personal," he said. "More personal than anything that's happened since Rogers raped him. I don't think that Tony is going to sleep until he has a chance to retaliate."

"I hope he can hold up. I'm worried about him."

"We all are, Sir."


	112. Chapter 112

Coulson tapped on the glass wall of the lab and waved Barton out into the hall. Tony was working on the computer and glanced up at the tap, but went back to what he was doing without moving.

"Hey."

"He's hurting badly, isn't it?" Coulson pulled Barton into a hug and just held him for a long moment.

"Yeah, I think that he's still really spooked from having his suit taken over mid-flight and is pushing through this because he knows we need to do it," Barton replied. "Knows we need the information and to be able to secure our home, but Tony is hurting so bad right now, Phil. I've done everything I can think of to help him, and he's not even letting me near him. I grabbed him to protect him from the suits blowing up and he said I feel like safety, but he's gone back in his shell again."

"Let me talk with him?" Coulson asked. "Go make us all something to eat, Clint. Natasha's in the wind."

Barton nodded. "She'll come back with something good, Phil," he said. "You know she will."

"Only thing we can hold onto right now. Go on, I'll talk to Tony."

"All right." Barton kissed his lover softly and headed towards the elevator.

Coulson sighed and went into the lab. "Tony, we know what the WSC is planning," he said. "Do you remember when you went down to talk to General Ross about getting someone on the team for us?"

"Yeah, vaguely," Tony said, not looking up. "The Abomination or something like that."

"The last thing we wanted was him on the team and we knew that you would be the best one on the planet to make that happen," Coulson said. "You did perfectly on that operation, Tony, and achieved the objective we set, even if you didn't know it at the time. The WSC wasn't happy, but they backed down for some reason, and we got Bruce on the team."

"They're trying to make a dark Avengers team," Tony said. "Something equal to us, but twisted to their goals rather than protecting the planet from whatever the hell is thrown at it."

"That's what all the evidence is pointing to, yes," Coulson said. He sat down on one of the stools with a sigh. "Fury has moved Rogers to the most secure facility we have, Tony. No one knows where it is, not even me. Fury's the only one that can get in there and there are no guards because every door is armed with lasers. If you don't enter the right code within twenty seconds, you're dead. He's got other tricks hidden there as well, but Rogers being let out is the last thing we want. Our team is good enough to fight and win if they need to, but the threat of Rogers hanging over us isn't something we need."

"I don't have a suit," Tony said. "You can see what happened."

"I know, but you did what you needed to do, Tony. Just like you always do," Coulson said. "Get us whatever information you can on their plans. Natasha is out trying to catch one of the big fish for us, someone we can question about this new team, but we need names, Tony. Even code names would be enough to help us out."

Tony looked down at his hands. "I'll do my best," he said. "Where's Clint?"

"Up getting us all some food," Coulson said. "Then you need to try and sleep, Tony. The search can run without you right here watching it and I don't want to risk you getting sick. We're good, Tony, but we're not you. I hate to put this pressure on you when you're hurting and scared, but I know you work better with a goal in mind. Right now you are the one standing between us and an attack."

"Pressure is good," Tony said. "It'll keep me focused. I just don't know how much more I can take, Phil." He looked up. "How many blows can a man take before he breaks completely?"

"We're never going to find out, Tony, because you're not alone. You'll never be alone," Coulson said. "Clint and I are right here for you to lean on no matter what you need. We're your support while you're figuring out how to put yourself back together again. You are a strong man, Tony. I don't know many men that would be able to take the hits you have and still be functioning. You are a remarkable man, Tony Stark, and you need to remember that you are not alone. You have partners, and you have a team that loves you." He rolled over and caught Tony as the other man started to cry. "I've got you."


	113. Chapter 113

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updating today because I'm training a new officer tomorrow. Last update will be Monday :)

"He's asleep," Barton said, coming out of the bedroom. "JARVIS is going to let me know if Tony even twitches wrong so I can get back in there and help him."

"We need to stop them, Clint," Coulson said. "That's all there is to it. We need to stop the WSC before they start a war between beings that will hurt more innocent humans than anything else."

Barton nodded. "I need to talk with Nick tomorrow," he said. "I have a couple of contacts that I think could help us out short-term, but Nick's not exactly fond of them."

"Right now, we need all the help we can get. Nick just isn't going to want to admit that we need that help," Coulson said with a sigh. "I'm worried, Clint. Not just about you and Tony, but about what we're facing. There's something we're missing. Something big that is looking right at us. Something we should be able to see and can't. What is the WSC hiding from us that we haven't found yet?"

"I can think of a couple of things, but I'm equally sure that you can, too," Barton said. "Nick's on top of things, Phil. Even with how busy he is running SHIELD, you know that he's pulling in favors to help us out."

"Go talk to him now," Coulson said. "I'll stay with Tony. I'm not going to be able to sleep for a while anyway."

"Sure?"

"Yeah, go on. We'll be fine."

"All right, I'll be back when you see me," Barton said. He kissed Coulson and headed for the elevator. 

Coulson sighed and went into the bedroom, settling down on the side of the bed closest to the door to think. "Where's Clint?"

"I thought you were asleep, Tony."

"I heard the elevator and it woke me up," Tony said. "Where's Clint?"

"He went to talk with Fury about a few things. We can't risk comms right now, not even Nick's secure channel because we still don't know what all the WSC is monitoring, where they are in our systems," Coulson said. "He'll be home when he's done talking with Nick, Tony. How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm in about a hundred pieces and don't know what's going to happen to me," Tony said. "This hit me harder than the rape did, Phil. This was more personal than anything I've ever faced before, even Obie taking the arc reactor out of my chest. This was an attack on me, my tech, my babies. Someone wants to use my tech against me, and I wasn't fast enough to stop them."

Coulson rolled onto his side and propped his head up. "Who could do this, Tony?" he asked. "You know everyone in the tech world. Who is good enough to break into your systems and not hit any of your firewalls or safeguards?"

"No one I've run across recently," Tony replied, thinking about it. "The signature I found on the tech pointed to a member of the WSC simply because they're all in their home countries and meet via video conference more often than not. That's their weakness and I've turned the bug around on them, so we should be able to pick up on those meetings. They don't have a protection in place against their own tech, and that's stupid. You should always be ready to defend against your own creations. JARVIS even has a built-in control for protecting against his feed if it's ever turned back on him from an outside source."

"Indeed, Sir, though no one has yet managed to do so," JARVIS said.

"Our American friend is about to find out that no matter how good you are, I'm better," Tony said. "Honestly, I was expecting the attack to come from one of the council members overseas, not right here in our country, but then I thought about it and it makes better sense for it to come from him because I'm here. We're here and we're the targets. We're looking at people farther away from us for attacks and never once thought to look here at home first."

"Natasha will be able to get him secured and back to a classified location, Tony," Coulson said. "I doubt he's going to talk, but Fury has promised to stay with you while Clint and I start the interrogation. Nick will finish it, but we want a shot at the man that hurt you so badly."

"Don't compromise on your morals for me," Tony said.

"We're not, Tony, I promise," Coulson said. "We haven't talked about it, but both Clint and I are trained interrogators, and, while we don't usually work as a team, we can both break a man without picking up a tool. Not everyone can do that. You don't need to know what else we can do, but we're not compromising on anything. The WSC has decided it wants a war against both SHIELD and the Avengers. We're going to do everything in our power to stop that, to keep it from happening, but if it does come down to war, we need to know what all they're planning."

Tony nodded. "Which is where I come in," he said. "I don't know when I'll have another suit ready, Phil."

"Will you be able to go back out and fight in a suit again, Tony?" Coulson asked. 

"I can do what I have to do," Tony replied. "Clint will be there, right?"

"Probably closer than you think he is, if I know our archer," Coulson said with a small smile. "Natasha and Bruce will be there too, Tony. We're going to add a few people to the roster, but they're all allies from other treaties and discussions. None of them will try to hurt you. I'll be sure that Clint knows to kill on sight if any of them try it. I'll also make sure that the allies know the same."

"That shouldn't make me feel better. People shouldn't be killed."

"No, they shouldn't be, and that's what we're trying to stop," Coulson said. "I just want to make sure that you're okay in the field, Tony, and if this is what it takes to do it, then I'll do it. That's my job as both handler and lover."

Tony frowned slightly. "How can we be lovers when we've never kissed?" he asked.

"Tony, not everything in life is about sex," Coulson replied with a fond smile. "Do you prefer partner rather than lover?"

"No, no, either is fine, it just threw me because I thought sex was involved for lovers," Tony said.

"Love is involved," Coulson said. "That's something you never have to doubt, Tony."


	114. Chapter 114

Fury was in his office when he heard a grate open behind him. "Hawk."

"Nick." Barton put the cover back on the vent and moved around to the front of the desk. "Tony's managed to turn the attack around, we're getting information from the WSC, but that's not going to last once they figure out what we're doing. I thought of a couple of people I can ask for help, but Phil and I both know that you're not fond of them, so I wanted to get a go ahead from you before I tried to make contact."

"You want to head north," Fury said. "You know damn well how I feel about them, Hawk."

"Can you deny that they're the best ones to help us out short term?" Barton asked.

"Unfortunately no," Fury replied. "I've got Rogers moved. He's secure enough that I'll know if he sneezes. Someone did try to track us, but I managed to lose them."

Barton sighed. "Truthfully, Nick, if Tony sees the suit with even a passing imitation of the shield, he's going to panic," he said. "The WSC knows this, and they always seem to have a supply of well-muscled men that like dressing up in spandex."

"I've never understood that one," Fury said. "We just have to be certain that you're close enough to Tony when the team goes out into battle. He knows you're going to shoot anyone from the other side that gets near him. I just hate to see so much death brought on by people wanting something different. History always repeats itself, and I had hoped that forming the Avengers would help prevent this from happening again."

"People that want power, Nick, are always going to find a way to get it," Barton said with a sigh. "We've seen that too many times, and stopped way too many people to think anything different. What I don't understand is what the WSC is thinking right now. I know they were never behind the team, no matter what plans you laid out for them, but I really thought our win at the Battle of New York would prove something to them. Show them that we're here and we're able to fight off pretty much anything."

Fury leaned back in his chair. "I think the only thing they saw was a team loyal to me and able to defeat aliens," he said. "Too bad they didn't know how the team really feels about me."

"Everyone knows you lie, Nick. It's just a part of you," Barton said. "The team has come together now that the tension from Rogers lusting after Tony is gone. Am I happy about how it went down, hell no. You know that much, but I'm going to be cautious recommending anyone join up with us. Not only because of Tony and how skittish he is, but because it could well be a death sentence."

"That's going to be the sticking point, Hawk," Fury said. "This isn't war against aliens or some idiot with more magic powers than brains. This is going against the council that's been watching over all of us since before the Second World War. This is standing up to a group of idiots that have decided the world would be a better place with their own super beings in place and telling them that we're not going to stand for it."

"That's the catch, Nick. The super beings the WSC would pick out would be the Abomination, Magneto, hell, probably even Loki if given half the chance," Barton said. "They're going to pick people out for their own ends and give them power over the Earth. We can't let that happen. I don't care if I die in this battle, other than for what it would do to Phil and Tony, if it means I can keep the bad guys from ruling the world. I've been in the thrall of one of those guys, and I sure as hell don't plan to let that happen to anyone else if i can stop them."

"Is Thor going to be able to come back to help with this?" Fury asked.

"Phil put out word, we're just waiting to hear back," Barton replied. "It's the problem with having to yell up at the sky burning the right herbs. You get the weirdest looks, but until the bridge is rebuilt, it's what we've got. I'm sure the big guy will show up when we're least expecting him to."

"Probably breaking everything in his path too," Fury said. "I don't like it, Hawk. I don't like any of it. You go up to the school and talk with Charles. See what he has to say, if he'll let you talk with his team for help. It's been years since I called him, and it's possible he's not going to want to help me out."

Barton nodded. "I'll see what I can do, Sir," he said. "If nothing else, I think I can get Storm to come down and help us out a bit. Nothing like a localized blizzard to make people think twice about attacking."

"Be careful with this, Hawk. you know your movements are going to be watched," Fury said.

"I'm just a hick going back to school, Nick," Barton replied with a grin. "With my eye-sight, people think I'm not human anyway. We've never put solid word out on that. I can fake it if I need to."

Fury looked at him steadily. "Don't need to," he said.


	115. Chapter 115

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been years since I last saw the X-Men movies and I've never read the comics. Charles is OOC here, but I kind of like him. Let me know what you think.

Barton sent a coded message to Coulson and headed north toward a remote and hidden school. When he was an hour out, he sent them a coded message letting Charles know that he was incoming with business. It'd been a while since Barton had seen any of the other team, but knew they were the best place to start looking for help.

"Hawkeye."

"Hey Scott, what's new?" Barton asked. He parked his bike up against the side of the mansion and took off his helmet. "How's teaching treating you?"

"It gets interesting at times," Scott replied with a wry grin. "A couple of them tried to steal my glasses instead of focusing on a test."

"How'd that go for them?"

"Come on, the Professor is just wrapping up a class," Scott said. "The kids are still doing research, but I think they're starting to understand that messing with anything that works as a protector against a mutant's powers is not something you mess with."

Barton grinned. "I can imagine," he said. "I think it's awesome you guys have the school set up like you do. I wish I'd had a safe haven like this to run to when I was a kid and outcast from everywhere."

"You're full human though, right?"

"That's what they tell me," Barton said. "Hey Storm."

"Hawkeye," she said with a small smile, "I hear you're in need of some help. What's going on?"

"Let me talk with the Professor and then we'll give you guys the rundown," Barton said. "I'm not sure if he's going to want to involve his team in all of this or not. It's a mess, guys, and I don't know where to start."

"He'll tell you," Scott said. "Go on in."

"Thanks." Barton slipped into the large library and stayed near the back while Charles finished up with the class he was teaching on mutants in history. The kids didn't even seem to notice him as they ran out. "Professor."

"Clint Barton, come sit," Charles said. "It's been a while since I've heard anything from SHIELD. Matters must be growing dire if you look to me and my people."

Barton sank into the chair opposite the wheelchair with a sigh. "It starts with Captain America raping one of our team and ends with the WSC attempting to create a team of dark super beings to take over the world," he said. 

"That cannot be allowed to happen," Charles said. "What of your Captain America?"

"Secure. Fury didn't want to kill him, even if he deserves it, because we came to find out that Rogers was gang-raped back before the super-soldier project and never told anyone about it," Barton said. "Fury's hoping with time and counseling maybe Rogers can be turned loose again, but not until he's paid for the crimes he has committed. I know you can see it, so I'll tell you that yes, I want to shoot the bastard for what he did to Tony. I'll do it if Rogers ever gets loose and tries to hurt Tony again."

"I can see many outcomes of this," Charles said with a small sigh. "I think that your team needs help, Clint, and that you're right to come to me first. The WSC would not lightly turn on its own people. It makes me wonder what else might have happened recently."

"You think one of the rogue mutants might be involved?" Barton asked. "I don't like calling them that, but I don't know another term for it."

"Evil works," Charles said. "There's several people that my team and I keep an eye on. Give us a couple of days and we'll see what we can find out for you. I think that's the best place to start. I'll send Storm back with you. She's the best to help out until I can get Logan back to the mansion."

"Thanks, Charles," Barton said. "We're at a loss."

"Darkness ebbs and flows, Clint. Think of what Erik saw when he was a child, and how that shaped him into the man he is today," Charles said. "I don't know if he is involved in this or not, but if he is, you'll need my help to defeat him. I'll be in touch."

"I'll let Fury know," Barton said. "Any help you can give us will be very welcome."

Charles nodded. "Then we will do our best for you," he said. "Sleep in one of the spare rooms tonight, Clint, and go back to the city tomorrow with Storm. We must set a guard to watch for all possible incursions into our world. Only then will we be able to find the true heart of the matter."

"I just hope there is one," Barton said.


	116. Chapter 116

Storm was waiting in the breakfast hall when Clint walked in the next morning. "I've got the rundown on the situation," she said, holding out a cup of coffee. "It's not everyone that would come to us for help, Hawkeye. Why did you?"

"Because you know the fear of being treated like you're a monster for what you can do," Barton replied. "You know what it's like to have people turn on you in hatred rather than trying to understand what it is they're seeing. Right now, Tony's being targeted for some reason, and I think it's because the WSC fears him more than anyone else on our team."

"He was kidnapped and turned into something many wouldn't understand," she said. "At his core, he is still the same man, but there is fear the arc reactor makes him more than that. His suits scare people, don't they?"

Barton nodded. "The suits are gone," he said with a sigh. "The WSC worked out how to control them and tried to turn them on Tony and me in the lab. Tony blew them all rather than let anyone else get their hands on, oh shit."

"What?"

"I forgot something," Barton said. "Hang on a second." He pulled his phone out and called Fury. "Director, we've overlooked one key piece of intel."

"What's that, Hawkeye?"

"Iron Patriot or War Machine, or whatever the hell they're calling him this week," Barton replied. "We need the armor secure and make sure that Rhodey is safe."

Fury swore for a minute. "I'll get it taken care of," he said. "Good call, Hawkeye."

"Wish I'd thought of it sooner, Sir," Barton said. He put his phone away. "The WSC is trying to get a suit. The US Military has one in their ranks that we all forgot about."

"You remembered in time," Charles said, entering the room. "The WSC has not yet turned its gaze towards the Iron Patriot. I have had word from Logan. He will meet you at Stark Tower and he won't leave until this is over. He takes a very dim view of people attempting to control others."

"Don't we all?" Storm asked with a small smile. "With your permission, Professor, I'll stay as well. I can do more good there as a protector than I can here as a teacher or fighter."

"Yes, that's the correct place for you as well," Charles said. "Clint, tell Nick that we will aid as best we can until the threat has past. I believe it is time for all of us outside what is termed normal society to learn to work together against larger threats, for there will be larger threats yet to come, and we will all need friends. Would you like me to send Jean along to help Tony recover?"

Barton shook his head. "Thanks, but no," he said. "Phil and I are having trouble getting close to Tony right now, and he trusts us. I don't know what a stranger trying to touch him would do in his current frame of mind."

"The offer stands," Charles said. "I've started making a few inquiries of my own. Hopefully I'll have an answer soon about why the WSC is suddenly deciding to challenge the Avengers as they are."

"You don't think they're acting alone, do you?" Barton asked.

"I think that this behavior is outside the norm for them, even with an attempt to blow up New York. Answers are out there, we just have to find them."

Storm looked over. "I'll meet you at the Tower, Hawkeye," she said. "I think you'll need to give everyone a heads-up that we're coming so we don't hurt Stark worse than he's hurting already. I'll be there mid-afternoon with Logan."

"All right, see you guys then."  
****

Tony was locked in the lab when Barton arrived back at the Tower. "Hey," he said softly, stopping just inside the door. "How are you doing today?"

"About the same," Tony replied. 

"Have you eaten? Where's Phil?"

"I'm back here, Clint," Coulson called from the sofa that was hidden from sight. "How'd it go?"

"We've got Storm and Wolverine coming to join our team until this is over with," Barton said. "Tony, I know these are strangers and it's going to be hard on you, but can you let them stay here on guest floors? They won't be able to get to your secure levels."

"We're adding to the team?" Tony asked.

"Storm is, well, I've always called her a weather witch," Barton replied. "You've read about the mutants and their recent battles, right?"

Tony sat down and looked at Barton closely. "Yeah. I've felt sorry for them, but then again, I've been there," he said, hand straying up to the arc reactor. "They're just people trying to live out their lives."

"That's part of what the Professor and his team are fighting for," Coulson said. "Normally they wouldn't get involved with us, not unless there was a pressing need, and it sounds like Charles has seen something that worries him. What'd he tell you, Clint?"

"He sounded as much like Yoda as he ever does, but it also sounds like he thinks Magneto is linked to this, somehow," Barton said. "Tony, the Wolverine isn't really a mutant by definition. He was born with certain powers, yes, but he had a surgical procedure done on him that changed and enhanced those, so whatever powers he was born with are either gone or chemically changed. He has a tempter, but he will never hurt you."

"Are there files I can read on them?"

"We can get you something," Coulson said. "JARVIS, would you turn on the power and heat in two of the guest floors, please? When Storm and Wolverine get here, verify by the scans that are in the SHIELD database and let them up to the common level. Clint or I will be there to greet them."

"Strangers," Tony said, voice shaking.

"If it helps, Tony, they're both friends of mine," Barton said. "I trust them with my life."

"I don't know if anything can help, but I'll try," Tony said.


	117. Chapter 117

"Fancy place," Logan said, parking his bike. "Makes me a bit nervous just being near it."

"I'm sure you can sleep in the alley if it'll make you feel better," Storm said.

"Snippy witch," Logan grumbled, following behind her, both their bags in hand. "Charles see anything else before we headed out?"

Storm shook her head. "Nothing that we need to know right now," she said. "Clint didn't tell me how to get upstairs."

"Welcome to Stark Tower, I am the butler, JARVIS," a voice said from the ceiling. "I have your profiles on the server. Please place your hand on the panel next to the lift for verification and you will be taken to the common level where Agent Barton is awaiting your arrival with lunch prepared."

"Damn, I thought the AI was a rumor," Logan said, putting his hand in place.

"We attempt to keep it that way, Sir," JARVIS said. "Thank you. Miss Storm, if you would?"

She smiled. "It's nice to meet someone with manners, JARVIS," Storm said. "What's the status of the team here?"

"Dr. Banner and Agent Coulson are in the lab with Mr. Stark at this time," JARVIS said, opening the elevator doors. "Agent Romanov is on assignment for SHIELD and is under deep cover. I hope that you like pasta."

"Anything's fine with me," Logan said. "I've been eating in dives for the past two months."

"You like hamburgers though," Storm pointed out. She stepped out into the large open area. "Very nice. Clint, we're here."

Barton appeared from around a corner. "Hey guys, sorry about the security sweep, but we know about at least three shape-shifters and had to be sure," he said. "Yeah, I know they can mimic biometric data, but that's not all JARVIS is scanning for. I've got lunch set up in here."

"It's a nice view," Logan said, looking at everything. "How long have you guys been living here, Hawk?"

"Since just after the Battle," Barton replied. "Tony was kind enough to give the team a place to call our own, even though it's not SHIELD's property. It beats the bunks at SHIELD, and JARVIS is great to have around."

"I try my best, Clint," JARVIS said. "Mr. Stark wishes me to pass along a welcome to our new friends and tell them that security protocols are available for them on their floors. He trusts that you will explain about the secure floors?"

"Next thing on my list," Barton said. "Guys, Tony's shook up bad. He wasn't only raped by one of our own, his suit was recently overtaken in the middle of battle and he was exposed to a man dressed as Captain America. Since then he's found that his system has been hacked and has had to destroy all of his suits to keep them from hurting us, or worse, falling into the wrong hands. He has two secure floors in the Tower; his penthouse and his lab. There are separate elevators to get to both and they're both locked to Tony, Phil, and myself. Bruce can get to the lab, but he has to go through two different elevators to do it, and he's locked out of the penthouse. Don't feel offended when you can't get somewhere."

Logan shrugged and took the plate Barton was holding out. "This is Stark's place. If he doesn't want us somewhere, we stay out," he said. "I learned my lesson the hard way about poking around places I ain't supposed to be. Storm and I are here to guard and help you guys in battle, not play counselor. Hell, I suck at it anyway. JARVIS, is Stark watching us right now?"

"He is, Sir."

"Then let me say this. Stark, I know what it's like to have your body turned inside out," Logan said. "Only it was by my choice and I don't let no one touch me now. I'm here to keep you safe, and I'll be damned if anyone touches you on my watch. When you're better, we'll spar, but right now, you're out tech genius and we need that more than we need fighters. There's no shame in protecting yourself."

Storm nodded. "You do what you have to do, Tony," she said. "I know we're strangers and you're probably uncomfortable having us in your home. Have JARVIS tell us if you need us to stay somewhere else. We don't want to make you feel worse. I've been there, too. We all have, and we all understand."


	118. Chapter 118

"They're not what I was expecting," Tony admitted once the group up on the common level turned to their lunches and talking about other thing. "Kill the audio, J. Logan has such a reputation for being a fighter. I guess I didn't realize that he might have built up a reputation to protect himself."

"He's been alive since the 1800s," Coulson said. "Lived through a lot and always comes back in the end. I think he's tired more than anything else. Living that long has to be exhausting."

"I don't know how I would handle living that long," Tony said. "Did they do a variation of the serum used on Rogers with him?"

Coulson put a mug of tea down near Tony and moved to sit on his own stool. "No, his process was completely different and Logan has never told anyone everything that happened to him during that time," he said. "There's some speculation that he doesn't even remember everything, but he won't let Charles or Jean touch him to try and help to recover any missing memories."

"I would doubt he's immortal," Bruce added in. "I think that his biorhythm has been slowed down and his regenerative abilities enhanced to the point that it's impossible to kill him. It's amazing for the time period it was done in, but I don't envy him in the least. The pain levels involved in that would have been off the chart."

"So he would be able to stand up against Rogers?" Tony asked.

"Easily," Coulson replied. "Between Logan, the Hulk and Clint, you're going to be the safest one in the battle, Tony. Storm, well, she lives up to her name. She can manipulate and control the weather around her. I've seen her encase an enemy in ice before, and it won't shatter until she releases them. Both she and Logan are good friends of Clint's from a few years before we let him out in the field. Nick didn't know what to think when they became friends, but he never tried to stop it."

"Who else could be showing up?" Tony asked. "I'm seeing at least fifty files here."

"Some of those are the enemy," Coulson said. "Here, let me adjust that for you. SHIELD is still working to classify good and enemy mutants. It's not easy because alliances form and fall all the time, so our records department just keeps them in the same general folder and trusts the handler requesting the files knows who is who. There, that's better. Charles will be around at some point. I think you'll like him. He's in a wheelchair, but he's also one of the most powerful mutants on the planet. He's a telepath, Tony, but he won't repeat anything he hears, ever. It takes years of practice to be able to shield against him and you'll only give yourself a headache if you try. Jean is his student, another telepath, but she has to be touching you to read anything."

"No touching," Tony said with a shiver.

"She won't come near you without your express permission," Coulson said. "Scott's interesting. He has what Clint calls laser vision. I don't understand it so I can't explain it. Hank is the last one I think might show up. He's also known as Beast, Tony, but he's, well, he's a lot like JARVIS, actually."

Bruce looked over. "I've met him," he said. "Gentle as anything right up until someone he cares about is in danger."

"Sounds a bit like the Hulk," Tony said. "These guys are all a team, Phil?"

"Loosely, yes," Coulson said. "Charles is the leader, but Scott leads the team in the field. He and Logan end up butting heads a lot of the time, but they manage to get the job done in the end. Now, if Magneto is involved, then that means we'll also be running into Mystique. She's a shape-shifter and we've had problems with her in the past. She's the primary reason we wanted JARVIS to be able to scan for more than biometric data, Tony."

"I wondered about that, but it makes sense. So, what, you're thinking that Mystique has shifted into the form of a member of the WSC and is trying to lead them into a war with us for some reason?" Tony asked. "Wouldn't that be a bit too obvious?"

"It would, yes, which is why I favor the theory that she's an aid to one of the WSC, whispering in their ear and playing the long game," Coulson said. "Magneto has been trying to take over the world in one form or another for the past twenty years or so. Charles has managed to stop him every time, but it's possible that Magneto has branched out and is no longer looking to rule just the mutant population."

"Sounds like a stand-up guy," Tony said. "Is there any metal he can't manipulate?"

"We'd have to ask Charles, but I don't think so," Coulson said. "Bruce, do you know?"

"Not off the top of my head, no. Erik, or Magneto, has always been pretty close about his talents and abilities," Bruce replied. "I've never seen anything written down anywhere listing what he can and can't work with."

Tony sighed. "JARVIS, let's start looking into other materials for the suit that will be safe around someone that can manipulate metal," he said. "Given the sudden command over my suits, I think that he's here, Phil. I think he's around and he wants something."

"The question is, what," Bruce added.

"The same thing he always wants," Coulson said with a sigh. "War."


	119. Chapter 119

Fury was working on a report when there was a tap on his door and it opened to admit a wheelchair. "Charles," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Haven't seen you in close to a decade. How've you been?"

"Well," Charles replied, shutting the door behind him, "and you, Nick?"

"I'm never bored," Fury replied. "What can I do for you?"

"I've managed to locate Erik. He's just outside the city at an older house he bought many, many years ago when we were both young men new to this country," Charles said. "I do not see anyone living with him, but that doesn't mean his favorite followers do not know where he is."

"What's his play?"

"The same as it has been since he was traumatized so badly as a child," Charles sighed. "He wishes the world to bow down at his feet, Nick."

"That isn't going to happen on my watch."

"Mine either. The question becomes, however, where Mystique is now. I have been unable to track her."

Fury nodded. "Coulson and the others think that she's taken the place of a trusted aide somewhere in the WSC and is helping push for war with the Avengers," he said. "It would be too obvious to have her take the place of one of the leaders. Too dangerous, too. Hell, they've all got so many codes and pass phrases that no one knows all of them. No one but those five."

"Is it possible she could have the WSC member somewhere secure to be gaining information from while she is in their place?" Charles asked.

"I would doubt it. I've heard codes come up in the middle of conferences and if the correct reply isn't given immediately then all hell breaks loose," Fury replied. "It happened once when one of the five didn't get the memo. That was a mess and almost led to war between Russia and France. There's no reading off notes allowed for them either. These things are committed to memory when they're first sent out and everyone has to remember them, even those from five years ago, or more. Is Mystique smart enough to memorize that much information in one go?"

"She is, but I would worry that the counsel in question wouldn't tell her everything," Charles said. "Then again, if she has one of her henchmen with her, then it could be different. Sabretooth has fallen off the grid. It is possible he's with her."

"I thought he was dead."

"Many did, but no body has been found. Until we find a body, we have to assume that he's healed and is still helping Erik," Charles said. "I will keep searching for answers, but I wanted you to know that Erik is here and he is involved."

"Meaning my team needs to have no metal on them at all when they go to fight," Fury sighed. "Damn, that's going to be difficult."

"But not impossible."

"No, not impossible. I've had R&D working on an alternative material for Barton's bow and arrows for a while now," Fury admitted. "The uniform will be a little harder, given the zippers we use to keep him in it, but I'm sure they can come up with something. Dr. Banner will be fine. I'll have to have them look at Agent Romanov's equipment too. What about your people?"

Charles sighed. "Logan is at Erik's mercy should Erik wish to play," he said. "There is no metal that Erik cannot manipulate, including that which coats Logan's bones. Storm will be fine, and I will send Scott and Hank along should Erik make an appearance. We need to move quickly, Nick. Events are growing more strained hourly and I worry for the world."

"Do you have a secure place to put Erik if we manage to catch him?" Fury asked.

"We do not. He has been contained before, but Mystique has always managed to get metal in to him somehow and he has broken free using it."

Fury nodded. "Then I'll see what my resident genius can come up with," he said. "Stark's been playing around with new materials, it's possible he has one that we can use here. If not, well, I'll make sure there's Hulk-rated non-metal restraints waiting somewhere for Erik."

"He was a good man, once," Charles said with a sigh. "Before the darkness took him. Many times I have wondered if there was something I could have done to help him, if there's something I could do to help him."

"I'm sure there is," Fury said. "I've found that a little understanding goes a long way in cases like this. We get him, we won't bar you from seeing him, Charles. Hell, you're probably the only one he's going to listen to."

"I can only hope that's true. I'll return to my watching, Nick. When I find something, I'll be in touch."

"We'll be waiting."


	120. Chapter 120

Tony looked over the notes he'd taken while talking with Fury and sighed. Barton glanced over. "That sounded like it has the weight of the world behind it," he said. "What's going on, Tony?"

"Fury needs a completely secure non-metal inclusive prison cell," Tony said. "That's easy enough, we did something similar for the Hulk on the Helicarrier, but that had metal in its supports. I don't know if I can create a plastic strong enough to mimic metal. Then the new suit needs to have no metal involved at all, even down to the wiring. That's going to be a little harder."

"They must have picked up on Magneto," Barton said. 

"Fury said a guy named Erik," Tony said.

"Yep, that's him," Barton said. "You know how the world is full of being with code names."

Tony nodded with a small smile. "It can get a little confusing at times, especially when all you get is that code name."

"Erik Lehnsherr was born in Germany to a Jewish family," Barton started, leaning forward, arms resting on his legs. He was perched on his favorite table. "We won't go into the horrors he faced as a young boy in the concentration camps, but those helped shape him into the man he is today. Erik can play at being sane, even on our side, but you always have to ask yourself why. What's in it for him. Why does he want to work with you on a certain problem. Erik and Charles were best friends for a number of years, and I think that Charles feels he failed Erik."

"Were they lovers?" Tony asked.

"If they were, it's never been reported," Barton replied with a shrug. "I think our priority needs to be getting the cell designed and built, Tony. It's very likely that Nat and I will eventually be sent in to capture Erik. Well, that's if she's back from her current op by then. If she's not, then I'll work with someone else to get him."

"Well, we do have the new material that we're building the planes out of," Tony said, pulling the spec sheet up on a monitor. "Fury said that there's not a metal in existence that Erik can't manipulate, but this is a new one that isn't exactly a metal. Do we want to risk it?"

Barton shook his head. "I've seen what he could do when Mystique injected extra iron into a guard's blood," he said. "That wasn't pretty. We need shatter-proof glass, plastics, and nothing that has even a trace of metal in it. That means no cement or other natural resources, Tony."

"Shatter-proof glass and plastics," Tony sighed. "Where are we going to put this prison is the other question. Any building we put it in is going to have metal around him."

"There's a facility where they had the last one that's secure if we can get the cube built," Barton said. "I'll get in touch with Nick and get him to start getting things going there. Do you think you can do this, Tony?"

"You know me, Barton, I live for puzzles," Tony said. "JARVIS, start working on how the hell we can fabricate a suit with no metal."

"Yes, Sir," JARVIS said. "Sir, reports from the factory producing the new SHIELD buses have come in. The first plane is ready for test flight."

"That's early," Tony said. "How did they finish it that quickly, JARVIS? They shouldn't have been done for another week, if not two."

"I am uncertain, Sir," JARVIS said. "However, they feel ready to move to test flight mode."

"I don't like it," Tony said. "Clint, you know the planes. Could you go and see what all is going on down there?"

"Will you be okay on your own?" Barton asked.

"Maybe send Bruce in," Tony replied. "He can help me work out the organics involved with this new prison I'm suddenly building. I never thought I would have to work with limited materials."

"If anyone can do it, it's you, Tony," Barton said. "I have faith in you."

Tony glanced over at him. "Thanks," he said softly.


	121. Chapter 121

Barton and Coulson walked into the hanger where the new Bus was awaiting inspection, both in sunglasses, and Coulson with a briefcase in one hand. Coulson nodded to Barton, who moved towards the plane, while Coulson continued on towards the office. Neither of them failed to notice all the looks they were getting from the factory workers. "I need the books," Coulson said.

"Agent Coulson," the day foreman said. "We weren't expecting you today."

"No one ever expects me," Coulson said, setting the briefcase down on the desk. "However, I have been asked by Mr. Stark to review the process you used to assemble the plane and to be sure that the money funneled into the project by Stark Industries was used correctly. While I'm doing that, Agent Barton will be inspecting the new plane."

"Yeah, everything we have is yours," the man said. "We finished under budget, Sir. Could you let Mr. Stark know there's money there that we can put into the next project if he wants, or it can be used on other fittings for the plane that we didn't plan for initially?"

"As long as the numbers add up and everything is assembled correctly, then yes, I will do that," Coulson said. "I believe that Agent Barton will need you on the factory floor to answer questions."

The man nodded. "I'll head out there now," he said. "Let me know if there's anything else you need."

"I will."

Barton was walking around the plane, checking over the joins in the belly when the foreman found him. "How did you finish so quickly?" he asked.

"The new material is a dream to work with," the foreman said. "I'm Chris, by the way, Agent Barton. I've never had anything like this before. Seriously, if Mr. Stark can figure out a way to make this available to the commercial airline industry, it'll change flight forever."

"We're looking into a few things," Barton said. "The joins look good. Who do you have lined up as a test pilot?"

"Me."

"Melinda May," Barton said, not turning around. "How'd they convince you to take this one?"

May walked up next to him and looked up at the plane. "You were busy," she said. "I've been inside, Barton, it looks good."

"I want a look at the upper body, but I'm happy with what I'm seeing so far," Barton said. "Chris, you got a lift around here we can use to take a look at the top job?"

"Yeah, absolutely, give me one second and I'll get it over here."

Barton looked at May once they were alone. "What's really pulled you out, Mel?" he asked softly.

"Fury came to talk to me, said there's trouble brewing and he needed a pilot he could trust in the air," she replied. "Non-combat, transport only. I told him I'd take the missions only if he never tried to put me into combat again."

"We're heading for some nasty shit," Barton said. "The Avengers are in the thick of it, Mel, and I don't like any of it."

She nodded. "I've heard rumors around base. You'd be amazed at what people talk about when they think they're alone down there in admin," May said with a small smile. "Can you confirm possible infiltration?"

"Not without the boss' permission," Barton said. "Fury's keeping it tight."

"I understand. Here comes our lift. I could use a second on the test flight," May said. "Since you're here, and I'm sure your handler isn't far off, get permission to come up with me. We'll see how she really handles."

Barton grinned. "You read my mind."  
****

"Melinda," Coulson said, not looking up from the computer, "you want Barton."

"Only for a couple of hours," she said with a small smile. "You're not surprised to see me here."

"I might have had a little warning about Fury's plan," Coulson said. "You'll keep an eye on Barton?"

"Just like he'll be keeping an eye on me," she said. "The Bus looks sound, Phil. We won't know that for a fact until we get her up in the air, and the only way to do that is to have us on there."

Coulson finally glanced up. "You'll take all the standard precautions?"

"And then some," May said. "New materials, new power sources, and new plane. All of those could combine into a dream."

"Or a nightmare," Coulson finished. "You two have fun. I'm going to be busy for those couple of hours with the accounting here."

"Problems?"

"No, just long and details. I'm actually impressed with how this facility is being run."

May's lips twitched. "From you, that's high praise," she said. "We'll see you when we get back."

"Have fun."


	122. Chapter 122

"So I hear you got to do first flights on the latest jets," May said while she and Barton were strapping in. "How'd they fly?"

"They're beautiful," Barton replied with a grin. "I'm surprised Nick didn't pull me to help out here. He usually likes to have me in on any new gear being tested."

"Your senses are a huge help," May said. "Let's power her up and see what happens. I think he figured you'd show up at some point and didn't want to take you away from your current posting if he could avoid it. Keeping Tony Stark safe is important."

Barton nodded. "Okay, I've got electrical up and running," he said. "Green lights across the board. Tony installed this power source for us, so I'm not surprised I'm green here. He's hurting bad, Mel. Maybe even as bad as you. He doesn't like strangers, but could I convince you to come to supper? Logan and Storm are there."

"Not a huge incentive to come then," May said. "Engines coming online, everything green so far. The source of the pain is different, Clint. I don't know if talking with me would be able to help him or not, and I scare people."

"Tony can recognize a mask when someone is wearing it," Barton said. "There's a hum, Mel, can you hear that?"

"No, which engine?"

"Number five," Barton said. "It doesn't sound bad, but it's not in sync with the others. Want me to go take a look at the wiring?"

"I'm powering down and we'll take a look inside and out," May said. "I'm not going up in this plane until I'm sure everything is running at full and proper power. A hum isn't something to worry about, I'll agree, but if it's not in sync then it could die on us up there and that would be problematic."

"I've missed you," Barton grinned. He unbuckled and started towards the rear of the plane. "The wiring is interesting in this one. Did you get a chance to review the build plans before you came today?"

"Fury routed them to me. I didn't understand, at the time, why there would be wiring access from inside the plane, but if we're in flight and something needs to be fixed, this makes sense," May said. "Stark designs a nice plane, I'll give him that."

Barton grinned. "He wanted to add in stripper poles as a prank on Nick," he said. "Then Phil found out about it and took it off the plans without saying anything to Tony. It was like having him back with us for a day, Mel, and then he was gone again. I had hope, right after the rape, that he would be able to recover and be the Tony I knew from before." He opened the panel and put the plate down near his feet. "Then the WSC attacked him worse than Rogers ever did, and Tony's back in his shell. I don't know how we're going to get him back from this."

"You give him time," May said. "There, that green wire. It's loose."

"Easy enough to fix," Barton said. He reached in and started to reattach the wire to the board. "We give him time, but there's a war brewing, Mel. I know you've been briefed about if. Maybe not in the detail some of our other agents have been, but it's going to be dirty and ugly and I don't know what it's going to do to Tony. Magneto's been flagged."

"And Tony has a hunk of metal in his chest."

"Aw, shit, we didn't even think about that," Barton groaned. "It's so much a part of him that I think we all forget about it. That takes him out of battle if Magneto's involved."

"That might be for the best. He's one of the smartest men on the planet and he's good with fast builds," May said. "Here, let me. I have smaller hands. If we can have him in the background, waiting and building things like this, then it will tip the war in our favor. We don't need everyone out on the front line."

"He'd have to stay with Nick to feel safe, but Phil would be wherever Nick is, so that would work," Barton said. "Get it?"

"Yeah, I think that's got it," May said. "We'll make a note of that and we should check the other access panels before we power her up again."

"Good idea," Barton said. "It's good to have you back, Mel, even if it's just as a pilot."

She smiled. "I've missed you and Phil too, Hawk."  
****

Coulson had his comm on so he could keep track of Barton and May on the plane. That they'd all missed the arc reactor worried him, but they would be able to figure out where to put Tony so he could be safe and help with the battle without risking his life. Coulson was just pulling up another spreadsheet to look at when his phone rang. "Coulson."

"Widow is back," Fury said. "She bagged us a nice fly. When can you and Hawk get here?"

"Within the hour, Sir," Coulson said. "We're with Melinda May at the Bus."

"Finish that up first," Fury said. "I want that plane in the air as soon as possible. Then get here. We'll let the fly sweat a bit before you see him."

Coulson grinned. "It'll be my pleasure, Sir," he said.


	123. Chapter 123

Tony was working on a final design on the prison cube he was building for Fury when one of the monitors came to life. "Agent, what's the word?" he asked.

"It looks good, Tony," Coulson replied. "The books balance out perfectly and there's money left for us to either upgrade a few things on the plane, or you can put it into another project. Barton is working with an old friend to make sure the plane is ready to head up into the air and, while they've found a few loose wires, it's nothing they haven't been able to fix."

"Let me guess, Clint's hearing things," Tony said. "Who's the friend?"

"Melinda May. She's probably my best friend from back in the day, works in admit," Coulson said. "It's a long story, Tony, and it's not really mine to tell, but she had a crisis in the field and works with paper now so nothing else can happen."

"She's built her wall out of forms and admit stuff," Tony said. "I can understand that one. I don't recognize the name, but I wouldn't if she's in admin or hasn't been in the field recently. I'm guessing she knows what she's doing with planes?"

"Almost as much as Clint," Coulson said. "Tony, Melinda also pointed out something all of us overlooked. The arc reactor, it's metal."

Tony paused in his typing and sat back with a sigh. "It is, isn't it?" he said. "I don't even think about it, not unless I need to work on it. This takes me out no matter what, doesn't it?"

"If Magneto is involved, yes," Coulson said. "You'd be at the base with me and Fury rather than out in the field with the team. Melinda points out that you're better than our R&D department on some things, Tony, and having you back and out of the fight means we'll be able to obtain gear faster than the WSC or anyone is expecting us to."

"Unless they're spying on us again, in which case I could send them some of my extensive porn collection," Tony said. "Might put them in a better mood. Ruling the world is stressful enough. So you want me building and creating."

"Tony, you are Iron Man, no one denies this, but right now, you need to be Tony more than you need to put yourself into that suit and go out and fight," Coulson said. "Give yourself a chance to heal properly before you step back into the suit. It will give you a chance to see what all happened last time, how control was taken away from you and JARVIS, and for you to be sure that it won't happen again. Clint and I need you to be safe, Tony. We know that you're fighting to put on a front and, right now, if that's what you need to do to feel safe, then do it. Just remember that we love you no matter what."

"It's hard to remember," Tony admitted. "With everything that's happened, with me hiding away like I am, it's hard to remember that it's still possible for you guys to love me. I guess I just keep expecting you both to leave and I'll be alone again."

"That's never going to happen, Tony," Coulson said. "We know it'll take time for you to see it again, but we're here and we love you. Neither of us will ever voluntarily walk out the door, Tony. We're both with you and we're not going anywhere."

"I'll try to remember," Tony said. "You're not coming home tonight though, are you?"

Coulson shook his head. "Fury needs us on base," he said. "We'll be home as soon as we can, Tony. Are you okay staying with Bruce, Logan and Storm? I know having strangers in the Tower is hard on you."

"They've been doing some reading and Logan's impressed with the gym," Tony said. "I've been thinking about maybe talking to them about Magneto, finding out some small things about him so I can be sure that this cell is secure. I just don't know how."

"In your own time and let them know that you might have to vanish on them if a panic attack hits," Coulson said. "They'll understand, Tony. They've both been there before and neither of them thinks any less of you for protecting yourself. I promise you that."

"We'll see. Bruce is working on some sort of special lighting that would be safe to use and I'm focused on materials," Tony said. "The shatter-proof glass is easy enough to work with, but I'm adding a special coating that I double-checked for any mineral content and there isn't any, that will help strengthen the whole thing and make it harder to break. I saw the video of what happened last time and I've got some ideas."

"Write them out for us, or have JARVIS type them up," Coulson said. "Route them to my tablet and I'll take them over to Fury when I go. I'll call when I know what time we'll be back at the Tower, Tony. Keep up the good work for me."

Tony managed a small smile. "I'll do my best."


	124. Chapter 124

"We get those wires in a little tighter next time and we won't have this problem," Barton said. "There, that's got it. I think the vibrations from the engines jarred them just enough that contact went sporadic and that's where the problem is coming into play."

"I stand by what I said, Stark builds a nice plane," May said. She slipped the cover back into place. "I think this is going to be a dream to fly, Clint. Ready to head up and see what she can do?"

Barton grinned. "Let's do it," he said. "You coming along, Phil?"

"I finished with the books," Coulson said, appearing in the hall. "Fury wants us to wrap this up as quickly as we can, guys. There's a fly at base he wants our help swatting, Clint."

"The spider is back in the web, huh?" Barton grinned. "Nice, she'll be able to help out with some other things now. After you, Mel. Phil, we need to make a note to make sure the wiring is secure before they close up the panels. When we turned on the engines, we had at least one wire come loose on each engine. Not enough of a problem to light up in front, but they were out of sync."

"Something only Barton would be able to hear," May said. "There are days I want to change his call sign to super senses. I envy you your hearing, Hawk."

"It's not all its cracked up to be," Barton sighed. "Try living with a man that causes explosions for fun." He settled into the co-pilot's seat and strapped in. "Sit down, boss. We don't know how smooth this is going to be going up."

"Start her up, Clint," May said.

"Electric coming online now," Barton said. "Phil, what else did Fury say?"

"Not a lot. I also spoke with Tony and passed on Melinda's very good observation about the arc reactor," Coulson said. "We're going to keep him out of battle until this is over with, just to be safe. Thanks for pointing that out, Melinda. None of us had even thought of it, and we should have."

"You were spying on us," May said. "Engines coming on now."

"Of course I was. I wasn't going to let the two of you loose without knowing exactly what you were plotting," Coulson said with a grin. "The good news is that Tony's got a good lead on a structure that will be able to hold Magneto securely until things calm down or the war is over, whichever comes first. He was also talking about talking with Logan and Storm, Clint."

Barton glanced back. "Over video?"

"Of course, but think what a step that is for him."

"Huge," Barton agreed. "The engines sound fine, Mel. Let's take her out and see how she does on the taxiway."

"Here we go," May said with a small smile.

"I'm still worried about Tony, Phil," Barton said as the plane started to move forward slowly. "There's no way to tell what triggers he has from which attack and if he has a panic attack at the base, think about the fallout."

"I have, and I have an idea for that," Coulson said. "Don't worry about it too much, Clint. I'll keep Tony safe and secure while you're out with the team. I'm not going to let him watch the battle. Not if there's a chance that the WSC will send in another man dressed as Captain America. It's always possible that they're targeting both Tony and Nick, and we're going to be fighting a different sort of battle than we're expecting."

"How does she sound, Clint?"

"Smooth," Barton replied. "Want to take a run down and see if we can get her in the air?"

"You read my mind," May said. "You strapped in, Coulson?"

"Securely," Coulson said.

"The way I see it, we have two possible battle fronts," Barton said. "Three if you count the cyberworld, but that would be Tony's battleground. The WSC could send a team of dark superbeings and mutants against us and we would fight on whatever ground we all landed on. That would be the Professor's people along with Bruce, me, and Nat. The other option is that Magneto is making a play and using the WSC to get control of SHIELD and we need to be on the lookout for someone trying to kill Nick."

May eased the plane up into the air and started checking her equipment. "It all looks good over here," she said. "What are you seeing, Hawk?"

"Electric is good, engines sound good, I'm green across the board," Barton replied. "She's smooth, Mel. Most of the vibrations we were feeling on the ground are gone."

"I think the internal dampening field has turned on," Coulson said. "Tony was worried about our equipment, so he wanted to eliminate as many vibrations as possible."

"The things he thinks of," Barton said with a fond smile. "Phil, Nick's on alert, right?"

Coulson nodded. "He's as protected as we can get him without hiding him away," he said. "I'm expecting an attack on all three fronts, if not more. They are going to try and tear us apart, confuse us, and throw SHIELD into chaos."

"That just means they really haven't been paying attention to us for the past few years," May said dryly.


	125. Chapter 125

"JARVIS, call Fury and see if he can come to the Tower," Tony said. "I need to talk with him about a few things, but I don't want to risk comms. I know he's got a ton of crap going on right now, so let him know it's not urgent, just a suggestion."

"Yes, Sir."

Tony looked over to where Bruce was working. "I don't know if I can do this, Bruce."

"Give it a try. You're secure in here, I'm right next to you and Dummy's by the door with the fire extinguisher," Bruce said. "The only way you could be more secure would be if Clint and Phil were here."

"Which they can't be," Tony said. He took a deep breath and turned on the cameras in the common area. "Logan, Storm, you guys got a minute?"

"Hey Stark," Logan said. "We're here to help. What's going on?"

"I'm curious about Magneto," Tony said. "I mean, I've read his file, I can kind of see where he's coming from, actually, but I don't really understand him, if that makes any sense. I need to be able to understand the man before I can build anything to hold him."

Storm nodded. "That makes sense," she said. "Erik is a man determined to rule the world, Tony. He grew up under Hitler's reign and saw that one man can take over parts of the world and do what he wants. He also saw the cost. I think, and this is based only on what I've seen and concluded, that Erik believes Hitler was weak. That he should have moved faster to take over Europe and not attempted Russia at any time. Posted guards on the borders, yes, but not taken the fight into an area the German army was so unprepared for. Erik believes his people will not make the same mistakes."

"I wonder that he can look so rationally at a man that killed his family," Tony said. "Okay, so we've got ego driven. I understand that one. I also know that it leads to mistakes." He tapped the arc reactor a few times. "The kinds of mistakes that can kill you. How is he not dead?"

"It's hard to kill a man that can manipulate metal," Logan sighed. "Just about the only way to kill him would be with something wooden and it's impossible for anyone to get close enough to him to do that. Magneto may be insane, but he's not stupid. He always has minions running around, ready to die for his cause. Mystique is the most loyal, and you can never tell exactly who she is."

"What about a wooden arrow?" Tony asked. "No metal involved at all, just wood and maybe the same plastics we're using on the cell?"

Logan looked over at Storm. "Didn't Magneto stop his own bleeding one time by causing the iron in his blood to cause the clot?" he asked.

"That's what we concluded, but we were never sure if it was or not," Storm replied. "Tony, the only way we're going to be sure Magneto is dead and no longer a threat is if he can be shot through the head. I know Barton is good, but when you take mutant senses into consideration, I don't know that Magneto wouldn't expect something like that and have someone next to him that can catch the arrow before it strikes. I'm not saying no, it's a good idea and if you can engineer something like that, then we'll consider it, but I think we need a back-up for our back-up plan."

"What if we take him out of the equation?" Bruce asked. "Now, before anything else happens and lock him away. Would that lead to a good trap for Mystique?"

"Damn shape-shifter can get out of anything," Logan growled. "I've almost had my claws in her a few times and she's shifted into raven form and flown away. Catching her is damn near impossible."

Tony nodded. "Well, what if we had a series of cages?" he asked. "I'm going to be fabricating walls for this new cell, I can make extra easily enough. If we lock Mystique in a cage as a raven, she wouldn't be able to get out of there, would she?"

"I dunno, but I can find out," Logan said. "Let me make some phone calls for you, Tony. I like how you're thinking though. Sneaky and smart."

"I'm just trying to figure out something that will work so we can stop anything before it starts," Tony said.

"Sir, Director Fury will be here in half an hour," JARVIS said.

"Okay, good, I need to get something ready then," Tony said. "Coulson called, guys. They're not going to be back tonight."

Logan nodded. "We'll keep you safe, Tony. That's what we're here for."

"Thank you," Tony said softly and killed the feed. "Did I do okay, Bruce?"

"You did awesome, Tony," Bruce said, hugging his friend. "I'm proud of you, and I know Phil and Clint will be too when they get home and hear how awesome you just did. Let's get these numbers started before Fury gets here."

"I don't know if he's going to like the suggestion, Bruce."

"We have to make it. Right now we don't know where the first attack will come from. I think that Fury will see the logic behind that one."

"I hope so," Tony said, turning back to his computer.


	126. Chapter 126

"I'm going to stay here, run a few more tests," May said once the plane was back on the ground. "When you're done at HQ, Hawk, if you can, come help me create a few more."

"I'll see what's going on," Barton said. "It's good to see you again, Mel. Take care of yourself."

"You too."

Coulson had the car pulled up and ready to go. "Fury's plotting again," he said, once Barton was in the passenger seat. "He wouldn't have pulled Melinda May for no reason, Clint. She might not be as willing to fight, but if it's someone she really cares for, she's going to do it."

"Yeah, I just worry what it would do to her," Barton said with a sigh. "Do we know exactly what we're going into here, Phil?"

"Anything from a standard interrogation of a high-ranking captive to a battle with Mystique," Coulson said. "I want you in your gear before we head in there."

"You just want to see me in it again," Barton said. "We're just talking circles around this guy, right?"

"Nothing physical has been authorized at this time," Coulson said. "I think that Fury wants to keep this off grid as long as possible, although it won't be hard for the WSC to work out what happened when our guest misses their next meeting. I do know that Natasha has searched him thoroughly and found no method of suicide as of last report. There will be guards in place to keep him from being able to bite down on any hidden capsules, although they won't stop him talking, and the room is one of our sterile rooms. One in, one out. No vents, windows, cameras or other holes anyone would be able to get at him through. The chair is one of ours and I'll check it both before we start and once he's secure. He's not dying on my watch, not if I can help it."

Barton sighed again. "That would be the perfect excuse for the WSC to start the war in full, wouldn't it?" he asked. "They could claim we kidnapped one of their number and killed him during interrogation. That's the last thing we need."

"Which is why we're going at this like we are. They might have another way to kill themselves should they be compromised, but I don't think they do," Coulson said. "The council has always struck me as being afraid, Clint."

"I can see that. Hiding away in their offices around the world, meeting only by video conference, and surrounded by security," Barton said. "That doesn't mean they're too afraid to take their own lives, but the chances are greatly decreased, I'll agree. Do we go in together, or do you want to go in alone while I'm getting changed?"

"We'll go in together," Coulson said. "Present a united front from the beginning. We can scare him however we want to, Clint. Fury just wants him untouched when we're done."

"I'm good at scaring people," Barton said with a small grin.

"I know you are," Coulson said fondly. "Time to put that to good use."  
****

"He's clean," Natasha said. "We have him stripped and in one of our jumpsuits. His clothes are being checked for anything that might be a danger to us and will be returned when they're sure it's just a really bad suit. He's secure, can't make fists, can't bite down, can't move his head, and can't kick out."

Barton nodded and checked one of his knives. Just because he couldn't use them didn't mean he couldn't have them there as a physical threat. "Has he said anything?"

"The usual. We're making the worst mistake of our lives. He'll see us pay. We're going to die for this," Natasha shrugged. "Nothing original, and certainly nothing I fear."

"Lack of creativity is getting to be a real problem with the baddies," Barton said. "Nat, can you go home and check on Tony for me? I'm worried about him."

"Sure," Natasha said. "Fury's letting me go for two days to rest up from this latest run. I'll take Tony's favorite home and see if I can get Bruce to take it down to him."

"Thanks," Barton said. "Ready when you are, Coulson."

"Good," Coulson said, joining them. "Agent Romanov, good work. We'll see you later."

"Good luck," Natasha said.

Barton nodded his thanks and followed Coulson into the secure room, taking up his usual position to the left of the door, where he would be hidden from anyone that opened it. He crossed his arms over his chest and fell into a modified parade rest. Coulson moved forward a little. "Well, well," he said softly, "it would seem that someone wasn't as secure as they thought they were. How have you been, Roger?"

"Coulson. Let me go."

"Nope. We have questions and you have answers," Coulson said. "I know you're not going to tell us anything tonight, that it will be all verbal sparring, but it's a chance to figure out what lies we're telling each other and maybe take us a step closer to the truth in the end. This would be much, much easier if you would just tell us what we want to know, you know."

"You know I can't do that."

"I know you think you're still in a position of power here. You're not. You're a man that joined in a decision to bomb New York when we had a team on the ground that was taking care of the situation," Coulson said. He started in a slow, anti-clockwise circle around the restrained man. "The bomb did end up being a good thing, it let our team take care of the aliens. If we'd known that would work, you could have sent it sooner for us. I'm still curious how you managed to get a nuke onto one of our ships, given Director Fury's hatred of them, but your council is sneaky with hands in lots of places. It doesn't surprise me that you managed it, just that you played your hand that easily."

Roger sighed. "What else could we have done. The aliens were destroying New York and there was no sign they were about to be contained. Nuking the site was the most logical answer."

"Regardless of the people living there. People we were protecting," Coulson said. "You all have been attempting to manipulate things since you first got wind of the Avengers project Director Fury and I were working on. Telling us who we could and couldn't have on the team. That was your first mistake. Your last mistake was attempting to take the Iron Man armor from Mr. Stark while he was wearing it."

Barton shifted a little, but didn't say anything. He knew his turn would come, once Coulson had talked a few circles around Roger.

"Why is your pet assassin in here?" Roger asked, looking over at Barton. "You can't kill me."

"Actually we can," Coulson replied. "Right now you have committed several acts that could be considered declarations of war against not only the Avengers, but SHIELD, and we take a very dim view of that. Director Fury, however, has ordered that you remain untouched for the time being, well, unless I really think you deserve to be hurt a little. Agent Barton is here to ask you a few questions as well, Roger, and I don't think you'll like his questions. You see, he's been in the field when your bad decisions have caused battles to go south quickly and more people have been hurt. Agent Barton takes a very, very dim view of that."


	127. Chapter 127

"We believe we have worked out at least part of your plan," Coulson said, still circling slowly. "When you, or people in your employ since I doubt you are smart enough to handle the actual work yourself, attempted to take the Iron Man armor at the same time you sent in a man dressed as Captain America, you showed us part of your play. I have since checked with General Ross' people, even if the General is unaware of my contact, and have learned that the Abomination is missing from his cell. That would be two right there, Roger. Two super-beings to come in and fight against the Avengers. Three, if you could manage to take and make the Iron Man armor your own."

"No one is sending in a team, Coulson. I don't know where the hell your intel is from, but it's faulty."

"Is it?" Coulson asked. "Then why do we have reports of activity at one of your secret locations? Training, Roger. None of us can work out why all of the WSC likes to keep muscular young men that look good in spandex around, but the reports show that you are attempting to train someone to the same physical level that Steve Rogers was at prior to his incarceration. There have also been reports of tests occurring in one of your labs, an attempt to recreate Rogers' shield. Howard Stark made the original and no one has ever been able to work out how he did it. I doubt your science teams are as smart as Howard Stark, but that's just my opinion. We also know that you have infiltrated SHIELD's computer network and compromised not only our files, but those of Stark Industries. They take a very dim view of that, and their lawyers are searching for a way to take this to court."

Roger laughed. "It'll never happen. You know as well as I do that the World Security Council is above any law in the land," he said.

"Not any law," Coulson said. "Agent Barton."

"You put more emphasis on pet than you did assassin, Roger," Barton said, not moving from his spot by the door. "I know you've seen my kill record. Or at least my sanctioned kill record. You see, I don't care if you don't know what's really going on in the Council right now. You're just our first stop because we know that your office is the one that tried to take the armor. Bugs are traceable if you know what you're looking for, and we do. We traced it right back to you. We'll get to the others eventually, but right now you're here, I'm armed, and you're helpless to fight."

"If you touch me it will be an act of war."

A slow grin spread over Barton's face. "You made that mistake when you hacked Stark's computers," he said. "It's one thing for you to try and hack us, hack SHIELD, but you went after a private citizen that contracts with SHIELD. Tony Stark isn't one of ours, he isn't one of yours. He fights for the people and he works with us under contract. Your first mistake was not realizing that. Your last mistake will be trying to recreate an attack against him. I'm just waiting for word from Director Fury, Roger, and then you'll get to watch as I kill you slowly."

"Let's talk about the man you sent in dressed as Captain America," Coulson said.

"What?"

"Dennis Hartford, age 23," Coulson said, reading out of a file. "Good grades, short military service before he was picked up by your office as a guard. Healthy, very interested in working out. Physically he matched Rogers almost enough to be his twin. Mentally though, not as much. He went in for a straight attack when he should have gone in from the side. That wouldn't have stopped Barton from killing him, but the shot would have been harder to take. I doubt the next duplicate you send in will make that mistake."

"I keep telling you I didn't send him."

"Someone in your office did," Coulson said. "Do you really expect me to believe that you don't know everything happening in your own office?" He grinned. "I mean, you are one of the leaders of the World Security Council, Roger. Don't tell me that you've lost control of your people. That should have been reported."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Roger yelled.

Barton snorted. "You can't have it both ways, you know. Either you sent the guy to traumatize Stark enough that you could get the armor, or you don't know what's happening in your office under your call sign," he said. "Which is it, Roger? Which more embarrassing thing are you going to admit to?"

"I'm not admitting to anything."

"But you are. You just don't realize it," Coulson said. "I think it's interesting that you claim not to know about the dummy Captain America sent into battle against the Avengers. Not that it was much of a battle, Barton matched his draw record for three arrows in the shortest time possible. When Stark's armor later come to life on its own and was destroyed, we realized that your office was in much deeper than we originally thought it was. For the past few days we've been suspecting an infiltration into one of the offices of the Council by, well, someone that wouldn't get noticed easily. I wonder if it's your office that's been compromised."

"Sir," Barton said, having been listening to his ear piece, "Director Fury wants you to know that the full Council is meeting at this time."

"Interesting," Coulson said with a small grin. "So that raises a question, Agent Barton. Do we, in fact, have the real Roger here, or is this our infiltrator? I think we need to have some scans run. Stand guard outside the door while I talk with medical. We'll be back, Roger, once we work out exactly who you are."


	128. Chapter 128

Barton wasn't sure what to think. He'd never had much contact with the members of the WSC, but he'd been in the background during a few meetings Fury had. He didn't like any of them, thought they were all idiots out to rule the world without thinking about the bigger picture, and Fury agreed with some of that, but he would never let Barton talk with the WSC. Something about sarcastic comments not being appropriate for meetings. Coulson did have more contact with them, usually handling lower security level meetings to free Fury up to handle other things around SHIELD, and Barton knew two things; Coulson knew the members of the Council better than they realized he did, and Mystique was good at her impressions.

"Hawk."

"Director. Professor."

"I asked Charles to come down and see if he could work out who we have," Fury said. "All of our scans, even the new ones recently implemented, are showing that's Roger in there. So I want to know who the hell is in that meeting."

"I'll have to make physical contact with him," Charles said. "I understand you have him restrained."

Barton nodded. "These are a new restraint R&D has been playing around with," he said. "If the wrist they are containing suddenly changes size, they adapt to keep the suspect contained. I don't know if they work or not, but I'll be in there with you and you know how fast I can move."

"You also know how to be quiet," Charles said. "Director Fury, I know you'd like to be in the room as well, but right now I need complete silence in which to work. You are good, but you do think loudly."

"I'll wait out here with my gun drawn," Fury said. "I see any sort of bird or rodent come out, they're roadkill."

"Good, then I believe we have everything covered," Charles said. "Hawk, if you would."

Barton made eye contact with Fury for a moment and then opened the door for Charles. It wasn't hard to work out what had happened, and he approved. He just hoped that it worked, because it was risky. Barton followed the Professor into the room and secured the door behind them. "Roger, you know Professor Charles Xavier, right?" he asked, taking up a position directly in front of the door.

"We've spoken a few times," Charles said. "Hello Roger, I'm here to see if you are who you say you are. If you are Mystique, or another shape-shifter that we're unaware of, you could save us all a lot of time and effort and tell us now. Director Fury has agreed to hide you away, to keep you safe, until this budding war is ended. He's spoken with me at length and is allowing me free-reign of any mutants we find during the course of our investigations."

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about," Roger snapped.

"He keeps saying that, Sir," Barton said.

"Then let us see what he thinks," Charles said. He moved into position and carefully took Roger's head in his hands. "Now then, the WSC has been trained to stop any telepathic attempts, but they always underestimate me and what it is I can do. Yes, there we are, right past the wall. You need to work more on your mental shields. Interesting. Very, very interesting."

Barton knew better than to ask what Charles was seeing while he was working. He focused on keeping his mind blank so his thoughts didn't get mixed up with anything happening in the room. It wasn't easy, but something he'd trained on when he was working to become a sniper, and, with practice, could fall into what they called his work mode without problem. He stayed completely still and quiet for the full hour Charles worked on Roger and didn't move until the wheelchair moved back. "This is the real man," Charles said. "Yet there are disturbing gaps in his memory, Hawk. Gaps that I can't explain away, at least right now. I'll need more time with him, but he's not a danger to me."

"Let's go report to Fury and see what he wants the next move to be, Professor," Barton said. "Roger, someone got to you when they shouldn't have been able to, and I'm not talking about hauling your ass in here. We probably saved your life."

"I don't know what's going on," Roger said.

"This time I believe you," Barton said. "Someone will be right back." He opened the door for Charles to go out first, and followed behind, securing the door again. "We've got a breach, Sir."

"Go alert Coulson," Fury said. "I've got guards coming that I trust."

Barton nodded and headed off down the hall. He knew there was a protocol in place if the WSC was ever compromised, but he didn't know what all it entailed. When he was gone, Charles looked up at Fury. "He knows."

"Of course he does, he wouldn't be my Hawk if he didn't," Fury said. "He won't tell anyone though. Hawk knows what this means. Tell me what's going on."

"There's a new telepath around that I'm not familiar with, and they are working with Magneto," Charles said. "We talked about the security codes and phrases needed for Mystique to replace a member of the WSC, Nick. They were plucked from his brain and not neatly. I don't know that he will ever be the same again. Magneto is setting up to make his move. Let me take Roger to the school. Jean and I can work with him there and he'll be safe."

"Let me send some of my people along to make sure of that," Fury said. "We don't know who all is involved in this, Charles, and I don't want to take any chances with anyone."

Charles nodded with a sigh. "I agree. When will the new cell be ready?"

"Tony's going to fabrication within two days," Fury said. "I'd say middle of next week. I'm already setting up plans for a team to go in and take Magneto."

"Remind them to be careful. He is wiley and will not come easily," Charles said.

"Would any of us?" Fury asked.

"No, we wouldn't. Let me know when you have him and I'll come down," Charles said. "I may truly be the only one he will speak moderately honestly with."

"I'll call," Fury said. "I don't want him around for any longer than we have to keep him secure because people tend to die around him, and I want as few deaths in this business as possible."

"As do I. I'm glad that we're on the same page here, Nick."

"For once in our lives," Fury finished with a wry look on his face.


	129. Chapter 129

"Barton, Fury has given us permission to return to the Tower for the night," Coulson said, catching his lover in the hallway. "We're to report back at 0800 tomorrow for our next posting."

"Ready when you are, boss," Barton said. He fell into step behind Coulson and settled into the rear position on the jet. "I wonder what the next move is going to be."

Coulson sighed. "There's two possibilities and, if it wouldn't traumatize Tony so badly, I would move the Avengers to a secure location for us to strike from," he said. "The Tower is secure, yes, but it's an easy target and the WSC has shown that it isn't above sending bombs into the middle of the city."

"Strap in you two," Natasha called from the front. 

"What are you doing here, Nat?" Barton asked.

"Someone has to come keep you in line," Natasha replied.

Barton sighed. "Sir."

"Agreed," Coulson said. He punched in the code that would kill the engines and lock the doors and vents. "Natasha Romanov is not cleared to fly any of the jets, you know."

"So who do we have here?" Barton asked. He pulled out one of the guns and trained it on the person in the pilot seat. "Henry was supposed to be our pilot today, where is he?"

"Barton, I don't know what you're talking about," Natasha replied.

"How did Tony like the salad with tuna you took him?" Barton asked softly.

"He was still eating it when I left," Natasha said. "I don't get what all this is about."

Coulson stood up with a sigh. "We're surrounded by guards here and they're bringing in the scanner and a containment cell," he said. "Tony Stark hates sea food. He won't touch tuna and he regards salad as rabbit food not fit for human beings to eat. Natasha promised to take Tony his favorite to try and tempt him to eat, and she's not currently cleared to be on the lab level. There's two ways we can do this, you know."

"All right, fine, you got me." The figure shifted until a stranger appeared. "I'm Shadow. Magneto found me hiding out west and told me I'd be safe if I joined him. He told me to come and bring this jet to him with the two of you on it."

"Why would he want us?" Coulson asked. "Okay, I can think of a few reasons, but SHIELD is on high alert for all shape-shifters, known and unknown, and we have facilities that can contain them. We can stop you shifting, too, so I want you to think very, very hard on your next answer before you try and tell me another lie."

"I'm a twin," Shadow said. "My sister is being held to make sure I bring the two of you back."

Barton didn't lower the gun, but he took a step closer. "What do you want, Shadow?" he asked softly. "We can help you. I know Magneto would have told you the same thing, and you're scared and don't trust anyone, but think hard about what Coulson tells you next, okay? Think very, very hard and then make your decision for us."

"Okay."

"Shadow, this is turning into a war and it is not one you want to be on the front line for," Coulson said. "SHIELD is working with The Professor, head of the X-Men team, and we have granted him the right to take all mutants to his school for their safety until this is over. Our goal is to stop Magneto, stop the WSC with as few deaths as possible. If you trust us, go with our containment team and answer their questions, you'll be sent to the Professor and held, yes, but in comfort with food, warm clothes and others that understand you far better than you could think."

"What about my sister? I'm supposed to bring you back tonight or he'll kill her."

"Coulson?"

"We might be able to do it," Coulson said. "Shadow, what if we went and saved your sister for you? Brought her back here. Would the two of you go to the Professor and stay out of the battles?"

"We've been running since we were kids. Our parents tried to have the church kill us and my sister was left blind before we were able to escape," Shadow said. "Always running, living off scraps, hiding in the shadows." He looked up at Barton. "Do you know what that's like?"

"Yeah, I do," Barton said. "I did the same right up until I found my home here. I know how hard it is to trust, especially when someone tells you they'll help and then hurts you worse. What's your birth name, Shadow?"

"I don't remember."

Barton felt his heart clench a little. "Well, it's not a great name, but my brother was called Barney and I lost him a long time ago," he said. "How about it?"

"You'd name me?"

"Kiddo, I'd do everything in my power to help you," Barton said. He tucked his gun away. "He's not a threat, Coulson. Have the team come in. Barney, go with the team. Do not try to shift. Answer their questions and I'll get your sister back to you. I promise you that."

"Barton," Coulson said.

"Trust me, Coulson," Barton said. "Come on, Barney. I'll walk out with you."

"How do you trust again?" the newly named Barney asked.

"One person at a time," Barton said, holding out his hand.  
****

"Kid's a mess, Hawk," Fury said, once medical was done running tests. "He's only thirteen and weighs what an eight-year-old would."

"It makes me wonder how many like him Magneto and Mystique have, Nick," Barton said. "I'm going to go in and get his sister out. I'll bring any others that want to go, but I promised him I'd save his sister."

Fury sighed. "Be careful, Hawk. You could ruin everything."

"Yeah, or I could turn the tide," Barton said. "Coulson's going to be close and Bruce is coming to help along with Storm. We'll get this taken care of."

"All right. Bring them back here," Fury said. "I'm going to talk with Shadow, see if he can remember anything about his childhood. You know how I feel about parents that don't take care of their kids properly."

Barton grinned. "I know, Nick. See you in a bit."


	130. Chapter 130

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, last scheduled update for a while. This is my last day of work and I fly to start house-hunting tomorrow. I'm taking my computer, but I don't know how much writing time I'll have given how many houses we're looking at and driving time.
> 
> I think I'll start doing bulk updates, three to four chapters at a time, so please keep your eyes open and, as always, thanks so much for reading. :)

Tony was in the lab when the call came for Bruce to meet up with Barton for a quick op. "Will you be okay with me gone, Tony?" Bruce asked.

"I'll have to be," Tony replied. "I'll stay here in the lab. It's more secure than my penthouse. Who's still here?"

"Logan and Natasha," Bruce said. "I know you don't want either of them here with you, and they respect that. They're both going to be on guard until the rest of us are home again, Tony. It sounds like the first move has been made by Magneto and things are starting faster than we were expecting."

"Okay, I can, I can work with that," Tony said. "JARVIS, how close are we on those new panels for the cell?"

"We could begin fabrication tonight, Sir, but there is a small risk of structural instability we will have to take into account when we imprison Magento."

"Don't rush it, Tony. We need secure more than we need fast," Bruce said. "I'll be back as fast as I can. Remember that you're safe here, you have guards ready to help if you need anything, and your partners will be back before you know it."

"I'll try," Tony said. "Lock the doors behind him, JARVIS. Let's start running through these numbers again. Be careful, Bruce."

"See you soon."

Tony sat down on one of the stools with a sigh. "All right, JARVIS, Bruce is right, we need to be sure that this cell will hold no matter what Magneto throws at it," he said. "We know that he can manipulate any sort of metal, including those that are man-made as opposed to naturally occurring. What would happen if he was presented with one of our new elements?"

"They are metallic enough that I believe he would be able to pull out those trace elements and turn them into a weapon, Sir," JARVIS said. "That video of him removing extra iron from a guard's blood was most disturbing."

"Yeah, never going to forget that one," Tony agreed. "Okay, I like the look of this overcoating we're going to be using on the walls. I didn't think it was possible to make any sort of paint-like material that didn't have a trace of metal in it. I'm impressed, JARVIS. Let's look into patent possibilities for this one. Did something just move out in the hallway?"

"Scans are negative across the board, Sir," JARVIS said. "Doors secure, walls have an electric current running through them. Lift is secure and has not activated. No activity in the vents."

"God, will the jumpiness ever go away, JARVIS?"

"I believe so, Sir. You were making progress after your initial assault and, given time, will make the same progress again," JARVIS said. "There is no patent on record that matches our new material. Would you like me to submit the standard application?"

"Do it," Tony said. "Where are we with the patents for the new materials anyway?"

"Filed and in review, Sir."

"All right, I guess we'll hear when we hear," Tony said. "Going back to those panels, we have to be certain they don't have one small trace of metal in them. Where are we on the synthetics?"

"Final test panel is in the units as we speak, Sir. You will be able to begin testing in just over an hour."

Tony nodded and sat back a little with a sigh. He normally didn't slump down when he was on one of the backless stools, but he was tired. He really wanted Barton and Coulson home again, to be able to try and cuddle up with them and sleep. Tony knew that he had to work through the new feelings of fear and violation the sudden take-over of his suits and computers caused, but it was hard. Almost harder than being touched again after Steve attacked him in the old lab. Tony knew that was because his tech was such an extension of himself, but it was harder to explain. "Where are we on working out how the suits were abducted?"

"The monitor to your right, Sir," JARVIS said. "You can see that there was a signal sent along the channel that is used for external communications, such as those to the communicators the team wears, and Agent's Coulson's radio. I scanned my upload into the suit prior to us destroying them and found no trace at all to show that any bug came along for the ride."

"All right, so we need to screen our external communications grid differently," Tony said. "That's easy enough. Scrap the non-metal suit, JARVIS. It doesn't matter. I could go up against Mangeto in it and he could just crust the arc reactor and kill me that way. Let's start looking into ways we could keep that grid safe from bugs."

"I believe if you could write a combination virus scan and spyware program just for the suits, Sir, it would help us watch for external invasions," JARVIS said.

"It'd be a start, certainly," Tony said. "What's up, Widow?"

"Barton's on an op and wanted to know if you ate or not," Natasha said.

Tony glanced over at the pizza. "I managed a slice," he admitted. "Food is still hard."

"What about chicken soup?" Natasha asked. "I don't cook, not well, but there is a recipe I remember from my childhood. I don't know if it's from my family or the team that turned me into a weapon, but I could try to make it for you."

"That's be sweet, Natasha, thank you," Tony replied. "I don't know if I'll be able to eat it or not though."

"Will you try?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Then so will I. You keep doing what you're best at, Tony, and let the rest of us protect you while you do."

"Okay, that I can do," Tony said. "Let me know how Clint and Phil are doing in the field if you can?"

She smiled. "Of course."


	131. Chapter 131

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, I'm not back full time to my fan fiction, but I've got a per diem job starting up, so that's something. I'm into the new house and have been writing full time on my novels.  
> http://www.amazon.com/Lexxie-Scott/e/B00BHME9QQ
> 
> I have a couple of new ones out. If you like ghosts, paranormal investigation, or just a horror story, check out "Ghost House". I'm just proofing the sequel right now with two more planned in that series. 
> 
> For my fan fiction pieces, this one is going to be my focus for now. I'm really, really behind on AoS so I can't touch Level 7 and I need to decide where I want the other two to go. So I'll be popping in and out for the next who knows how long. *snorts* 
> 
> Thanks for your patience guys. I really appreciate it.

Barton scaled a tree and settled into the shadow cast by the branches. "This could be a trap for us, Coulson," he said softly. "Kid wasn't lying to us, but this is a lot more secure than I was thinking it would be." He didn't flinch when Storm landed next to him. "Hey."

"What do you see?" she asked softly. "Banner is below us ready to join at your signal."

"I see a house with bars on windows," Barton said. "There aren't any visible guards around the place, but this could easily turn into a death trap if we aren't careful how we do this."

Storm nodded. "I think the best place for me, at least at the beginning, is up on the roof," she said. "What do you think, would fog make it too hard for you to work in there, Clint?"

"Depends on how thick you make it," Barton said. He paused. "Is that Scott?"

"I called the Professor, he's sending a few more of my team to help out here," Storm said. "Let's go down and meet them. Then Coulson can tell us how stupid we're all being about this, and we can get to work."

"Phil won't say anything about us being stupid now," Barton said, swinging down from the tree. "He'll wait until the op is over and then haul us all over the coals for mistakes we made while we were in there."

Coulson was standing next to Bruce at the foot of the tree. "Such faith in your handler," he said. "Nat called. Tony's managed a piece of pizza and she's trying to make him soup, although I don't know how, exactly, she's planning to get it to him. Scott, good to see you again. All right, Barton, this is your baby, what do you want to do?"

"We've got kids in there," Barton said. "No idea how many or where they are, but we need to get them out. I say we have Bruce and Hank go into the small courtyard and make as much trouble and noise as they can while the rest of us sneak inside and get the kids. This doesn't have to be a neat assault, guys, and we're not touching Magneto if he's in there."

Scott nodded. "I'm sure that Magneto is expecting us to try something and he'll have his people on alert," he said. "We've been out here long enough for them to pick us up, so, as much as I hate unorganized attacks of any kind, let's go ahead and do this. Coulson, you have somewhere safe to put the kids when we bring them out?"

"Jet just up the street," Coulson said. "There's a team there ready to shoot anyone that doesn't give the correct password when they approach."

"What is the password?" Scott asked.

Barton grinned and whispered in Scott's ear. Scott sighed. "Only you, Barton," he said. "Tell everyone else and let's move. I don't like standing around on the street."  
****

With Storm up on the roof to cause as much trouble with the weather as she possibly could while not hurting the team rescuing the kids, Bruce let the Hulk loose and stormed into the house's courtyard with the Beast not far behind him. Barton shook his head with a small smile and headed back up the tree to access the rooms on the upper levels. "You're enjoying this too much, Clint," Coulson said in his ear.

"Nah, this is one of the scarier ops I've been on in a while," Barton replied. "It's Bruce and Hank that are enjoying themselves." He ducked a brick twice the size of his head and leapt over to the wall. "I mean, seriously, when was the last time Hank got out?"

"Three years ago," Scott said, joining the conversation. "He tends to stay in his lab most of the time."

"Sounds like another genius I know," Barton said. "I've got empty rooms all along here, Scott."

"Same."

"Guess we have to go inside and see where Magneto has set up the trap then, don't we?" Barton asked. He slung his bow over his back and leapt backwards off the ledge he'd been standing on, swinging through a window on the lower level. He rolled and came up ready to shoot, and was disappointed when he found the room he'd landed in was empty. "So much for dramatic entrances. Storm, any chance of a low level fog inside?"

"Sure."

"I'm in on the other side, Barton," Scott said. "I got no one."

"Hope the guards aren't decoys and there's no one here," Coulson said. "I suppose I could try and get the team in the courtyard to leave one awake and question him."

"Good luck with that one," Barton said. He pushed the door open and peeked out into the hall. "I've got guards."

"Human?" Scott asked.

"Looks like it," Barton replied. "Look like prison guards, honestly. Let me shoot one of them and see what happens."

Coulson sighed, but didn't say anything. Barton grinned, which was only slightly less terrifying than his normal sniper face, and pulled a handgun from the holster on his leg. "You guys got until the count of three to tell me where the kids are," Barton called. "After that, I start shooting, and you won't like it if I start shooting. One, two." He leaned out and shot three of the guards in the knee. "Three."

"You lied," the last guard standing said.

"And?" Barton asked, approaching carefully. "They're still alive. Talk."

"You'll just kill me if I talk."

"No, I'll kill you if you don't talk," Barton said. "I'll just maim you if you talk."

"That's an option?" the guard asked.

"Best one you'll get in the middle of a war zone," Barton replied. "I'll even let you choose between bullet and arrow, how about that?"

Scott snuck up behind the guard and pressed a gun to the back of his head. "There's also this one, which will break you down to your component atoms if you don't start talking," he said. "There are kids here and we want to know where they are. Talk now, or you will be in a lot of pain before you die."

"They're in the basement," the guard said. 

"Good, now tell us about the traps and guards down there," Barton said. "We know who you're working for, and we know he isn't a fool."

"No, but you are, Hawkeye," a voice said from behind them.

Barton spun around, bow off his shoulder and arrow nocked before the sentence finished. "Well, well, well, the big cheese himself," he said. "You're looking your age, Magneto. Not getting enough iron in your diet?"

"As smart as ever," Magneto said. He studied Barton closely. "No metal, Hawkeye?"

"I know better," Barton said. "Old school bow and arrow too. You're letting us take the kids, Magneto, and there's nothing you can do to stop us."

"Oh, I think there is, but I will let you have the children. They are of no practical use to me," Magneto said. "The question now comes, what will you give me in exchange for the children?"

Barton loosed the wooden arrow, striking Magneto in the shoulder. "Your life, you bastard," he said. "Scott, get the kids. I'm going to turn Magneto into a pin cushion."

"Disengage, Hawkeye," Coulson ordered. "We have no containment for Magneto at this time."

"You spoil all my fun," Barton grumbled. "You get to live this time, Erik. Don't think that I'm going to be so nice next time we cross paths. No one that messes with children deserves to live. Remember that."

"Remember that you are not as strong as you believe, Hawkeye," Magneto said. "Take the children and leave. Next time, I will find a way to repay you this favor." He pulled the arrow out, ignoring the blood that ran down his arm, and walked away down the hall.


	132. Chapter 132

"Coulson."

He walked into the kitchen and looked in the pot on the stove. "Smells good, Natasha, what is it?"

"Chicken soup made from an old receipe from home," she replied. "Where's Clint?"

"We rescued twenty children from Magneto and they were terrified of any adult but Clint and Scott," Coulson sighed. "Barton stayed in medical to help get these kids through the tests and settled into safe rooms for the night. I couldn't leave Tony alone, so I came back to the Tower. How is he?"

"Working," Natasha said. "It's been quiet here. Would you take some soup to him? When I offered to make it, I did not think about getting it to him."

Coulson smiled. "Sure. Would you give me a bowl too? He might eat a little more if he has someone to eat with," he said. "Hey Logan."

Logan nodded. "Hear you guys had some fun," he said. 

"Barton managed to get a shot at Magneto," Coulson said, rubbing his face with both hands. "Wound to the shoulder. I had to order him off because we don't have a place to stick Magneto right now, but it was tempting to let him go."

"How'd he manage that?"

"Wooden bow and arrows," Natasha said. She handed Coulson a tray with two bowls on it. "Let me get you spoons too. Hawkeye has a special outfit and weapon set for dealing with Magneto, and he would have been in it for this op. Can I do anything else to help, Coulson? I hate to see Tony like this."

"We all do. Knowing the two of you are on guard duty up here helps a lot," Coulson said. "Tony knows that you both are good fighters and no one is getting past you in one piece. Go ahead and get some sleep, both of you. This war, I hate to use the term but that's what it's turning into, is heating up and it's likely we'll all see battle too soon for comfort."

"All right, we'll see you tomorrow," Natasha said.

Coulson took the tray to the special elevator to Tony's lab and scanned in. "JARVIS, how's he really doing?" he asked as the doors closed behind him.

"Mr. Stark has managed to focus upon his work while you and Clint were away, Sir," JARVIS replied. "I have had to reassure him every fifteen minutes that there is no one on his floor and he has not attempted to leave the security of the lab. He knows you are on your way down, so you will not startle him."

"Thanks, JARVIS," Coulson said. He headed out into the hallway and scanned into the lab. "Tony."

"Hey, you're back," Tony said. "Where's birdy?"

"Clint had to stay on base to help some traumatized kids out," Coulson said. He set the tray down on a clear space on one of the desks. "Come on over here and at least try to eat some of this. Natasha doesn't cook often. We encountered a young shape-shifter that was attempting to kidnap us under Magneto's orders. The kid was posing as Natasha, don't ever tell her that, and didn't realize that Clint and I would both see through that fake face in a minute." He pulled a stool over, sat down, and started in on his bowl of soup. "Intel told us there were other kids held by Magneto and Clint wanted to go get them out."

"Of course he did. He's our mother hawk," Tony said. "None of this surprises me at all. Are all the kids mutants?"

"We believe so, but some are either unable or unwilling to talk," Coulson said. "If anyone can get them to open up, it'll be Clint. Fury is mad about these kids, Tony, and when Fury gets mad about how someone is treating kids, that someone usually ends up in pieces. We help the kids and leave the planning to Nick."

Tony nodded, but couldn't help the slight shiver that ran through him at the thought. "This was Magneto though and we can't let Nick kill him until we know the truth about the Council, can we?"

"No, you're right, Tony, and we're ready to go after Magneto whenever you have the cell built for us," Coulson said. "We would have taken him tonight, but it was too risky."

"I can't get the last one percent of metal out of this material," Tony admitted. "I'm working on some other options, but right now I'm still on the same timeline I was before. I don't suppose the Council is going to believe Fury when he tells them they've been compromised, are they?"

"We're not planning to tell them," Coulson said. He put his spoon down and picked up his water. They kept drinks in the lab as a precaution. "Fury believes, and I agree that our best strategy for now is to allow matters to continue as they are in an attempt to weed out as many players as we can and place them into containment. We know what's going on, we're watching the news from around the world and have agents in place to counter any stupidity the compromised Council attempts."

"It's all too confusing for me, I'm afraid," Tony said. "JARVIS, how are the kids doing?"

"Reports show they are all malnourished and have been abused in the past," JARVIS replied. "Director Fury is attempting to trace down family members, but it is a slow process."

"He's not going to send them back, is he?" Tony asked.

Coulson shook his head. "No, of course not," he replied. "Those kids will go to Charles's school if they are mutants, or remain with a SHIELD approved foster family if they are human. None of them will be placed in any position of danger again."

Tony put down his spoon. He'd been eating the soup without really thinking about it. "Fury's going to talk to the family," he said. "With things not going good for them if he doesn't like the answers he gets."

"These people need to know that abusing others is not right, no matter how different they are," Coulson said. "Nick will ensure they not only understand that, but never forget it again. I know that's a hard topic for you to think about right now, Tony. Especially with everything happening, and has happened to you."

"It makes me glad I'm not in Fury's position," Tony said. "Can we go to bed, Phil? Suddenly I'm really tired."

"Of course we can, Tony," Coulson said. "Come on, let's get as much sleep as we can."


	133. Chapter 133

"Hawk."

Barton looked behind him. "Director."

"Nope, just here as Nick," Fury said. "You get them all to sleep?"

"It was hard going for a couple of the younger ones, but yeah, we finally were able to draw blood for tests and got them all settled in for the night. Scott is at the other door and Hank is hanging around in case we need some special help," Barton said. "The doctors think all the kids are mutants, even if some of them haven't manifested their power yet, Nick. Why would Magneto have them, and why the hell would he let them go so easily?"

"I think that Magneto is after someone specific, Hawk, someone that the two highest ranked men in SHIELD would do anything to get back," Fury said. "I don't know why, but he wants you."

"I'll kill myself before I let that bastard have me for anything," Barton said. "You know that, Nick. Why does he want me? I'm just a human with good eyes."

"A man with the trust of both Coulson and myself, a link to the Avengers, and the close friendship of one of the most dangerous assassins in the world," Fury said. "A man that knows more about SHIELD and its operations than a general field agent, my primary test pilot for top secret planes. Do you need me to keep listing things off here, Hawk? They get you, they send Mystique in here as you and do as much damage as possible. Then they let you loose, send you back and we capture you for the problems caused. Meanwhile they use their link to the WSC to cause a war. The Avengers are minus two of their major people and Captain America. Do you really think that Natasha and Bruce would survive long in that battle, even with aid from the X-Men?"

Barton nodded with a sigh. "You want me to stay in the Tower locked down with Tony until this is over with," he said. 

"I want you on full alert any time you're out of the Tower," Fury said. "I heard what Magneto said to you at the end, Hawk, and it makes me worry. He's plotting and we're trying to catch up from a position that I don't like." He turned to look through the window into the room where the children were all asleep. "It feels too much like when Loki attacked us. I'm scrambling to put my players in place and it feels like our enemy is standing there laughing at every effort we make. We are going to need Iron Man, Hawk. Do you think that Tony will be able to come out and fight in these coming battles?"

"I really don't know, Nick," Barton said. "I don't. He's been knocked back so much by the fake Captain America being able to take the suit off him. I know he's working on some new suits with safety protocols built into them, but he's also so focused on the projects for SHIELD that I don't know how that project is coming. I'll have to talk with him to see what I think. I know he can battle past this again, but he's taken so many hits in so short a time that it's possible his full recovery could be decades from now."

"Unfortunately we don't have decades," Fury said. "Charles is coming down in the morning to meet the kids and talk with them. Once we're sure they're comfortable with him and the other X-Men, I need you back at the Tower to talk with Stark about things. Just don't tell him about Magneto trying to get you. He doesn't need that worry heaped on him with everything else that's going on with him."

"I'm going to have to tell him about this safety protocol of yours," Barton said. "Because he's going to notice really quickly and I don't know how he's going to react to it."

"I trust him to keep it a secret," Fury said. "I don't know what else we can do, Hawk. I've got people I trust tracking mutant movement around the world, trying to work out if they are mobilizing somewhere, if they're going to attack on Magneto's orders, or if they're just living their lives. I have other people doing the same with humans, trying to figure out the same thing. We don't know what Magneto's plans are, and I can't fight against an enemy that's lying low. I need something to aim my people at."

"Were there any clues at the house we saved the kids from?" Barton asked.

"They're still looking, but nothing helpful so far," Fury replied. "I'm doing everything I can think of, Hawk. I've got May in the air with a special team ready to go where I need them, but I don't have anything to direct them towards yet either. I need a clue."

Barton looked back towards the room. "These kids are the best chance we have, and they're all too scared to let anyone near them," he said. "Charles might be able to get us something if he can get them to trust him enough to get near them."

"I hate to lay all my hopes on kids that need to be healing."

"So do I, Nick, but it might be all we have," Barton said. "I'll work with Tony and Coulson when I'm back at the Tower, see if we can come up with anything, but it might come down to letting Magneto think he captured me."

"That isn't ready yet."

"Can they step it up?"

Fury nodded. "I'll make them."


	134. Chapter 134

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good news time. My per diem position turned into a full time position at a local hospital working security and making employee badges for the whole of the system. The only bad news is that, right now, I come home too worn out to do anything other than eat and go to bed. I'm going to keep popping in and out with updates, but I don't know when and don't have a schedule for them. I just had a bit of an idea for this one today and wanted to get in here and let everyone know I am planning to finish all four of my stories.

Barton stayed with the kids until he was positive that all of them were fine being around Charles and the team he brought with him from the school. Charles was so good with kids, Barton didn't think that he would be a problem, but too many strangers around at once, especially when lives were turned upside down suddenly, could be more traumatic than anything else. There was one little girl that didn't want to let him go at all, but was finally able to be handed over to Jean Grey without too many tears. Barton promised to come up to the school and visit as soon as he could, and he thought that helped.

When he got back to the Tower he went straight to the lab, where he knew Tony would be working on one of his many projects. Finding Coulson there was just a benefit. "Hey guys."

"You're back!" Tony exclaimed, looking up from the computer. "When did you get here? What's going on? Are the kids okay? Are you okay?"

Barton grinned and pulled Tony into a tight hug. "I came right down as soon as I got here. We're making plans. No, but they will be with help. Yes, I'm fine, but I need to talk with you about a couple of things," he whispered, answering each question in turn. "How did you sleep last night, Tony? You look better than you did a couple of days ago."

"It wasn't easy sleeping with one of my sides exposed, but Phil put himself between me and the door," Tony said. "I guess I slept well, but I'm not sure. There's too much running through my head right now for me to really know if it's shutting down completely or not. I figured out a way to get the cell for Magneto finished though, so that's what I'm working on. Phil told me that you saw him. What happened?"

"I shot him in the shoulder, and would have done more if Phil hadn't called me off," Barton said. He started moving Tony towards the sofa where Coulson was waiting patiently for them. "I think everyone knows that kids are one of my sensitive spots, Tony, and that I will kill anyone that dares to hurt children. We've got one of his safe-houses to investigate now though, and that'll help us work out what his play is. JARVIS, can you activate that privacy field that no one is supposed to know about for me, please? What I've got to say next is between us."

"Of course, Sir," JARVIS said. "Welcome home."

"Thanks, J." Barton got Tony settled on the sofa next to Coulson and sat down on his other side. "Tony, what I'm about to tell you is one of the deepest secrets SHIELD has and can't be mentioned to anyone. It will put everyone at risk and, honestly, if you weren't as observant as you are, we wouldn't be telling you."

"You're talking about Nick's personal safety protocol, aren't you, Clint?" Coulson asked.

"Yep. Tony, Nick's locked himself in a secure, private location that only two people know how to get into and out of there in one piece," Barton said. "It's sort of similar to the place he has Rogers locked away in. Nick's hooked up to a number of things that let a hologram-type projection appear where he wants it to. No one ever comes near Nick, so there's no concern about anyone bumping into him and accidentally going through the body the light is projecting. He's keeping himself secure so no one can get close enough to him to assassinate him during this war we're heading into."

"Is that some of my father's tech?" Tony asked softly. "I've never been able to do anything realistic with light and hologram projection."

"I think it's based off of something Howard worked on for Peggy back in the day," Coulson replied. "We're not sure about most of it, but it works and it keeps Nick safe during extreme crisis, so that's all we really worry about. Just keep in mind that it's still Nick you're talking to, you just can't touch him."

Tony shivered. "Wouldn't want to touch Fury anyway," he said. "Don't want to touch anyone I don't have to."

"Which we understand, Tony; we all do," Barton said. "Nick does have a question for you though. Will you be able to come out and join us as Iron Man during the upcoming battles?"

"I don't know. I'm working on armor that will stay shut unless you have a voice-command override for JARVIS, but it's being trickier than I thought it would be," Tony said. "I know I'm supposed to be this super-genius that can do everything no matter what, and come up with the tools and toys that are always cooler than anyone is expecting them to be, but being in the air and having my suit's control taken from me, somehow that's worse than the rape. That was a worse violation of my person than anything Rogers managed to do, and I don't know how to overcome that fear."

"You know that Clint is always going to be in a high point where he can see you, right?" Coulson asked.

Barton shook his head. "Not always, Phil, and I don't want to make empty promises when Tony's safety is relying on me being able to get to him quickly," he said. "Yeah, I'll have eyes on the team most of the time, but even I can't see through buildings, and it's not like we can just take out random buildings to keep members of our team safe. Tony, do you know how the fake Captain America was able to get your suit to open up like it did?"

"Yeah, they had a signal jammer than overrode JARVIS's control of the suit and it opened for them because of that," Tony said. "Think of it like a sound-based can opener."

"How does JARVIS take the suit off you, Tony?" Phil asked. "From what I've seen, it seems to have a bit of a mind of its own, especially when the helper bots up on your personal landing platform are involved."

"That's JARVIS sending in his signal to the suit to come off me," Tony replied. "I'd thought that it was a secret right up until the microsecond when the suit opened on its own in battle."

"JARVIS, what sort of signal do you use?" Barton asked, pulling Tony into another hug. "Is it a single or multiple wave?"

"Multiple, Sir," JARVIS replied. "Non-occelating, but over several different pitches and forms."

"Is there a way to make it even more complex?" Barton said. "Something that it's impossible to replicate in the field?"

Tony looked up. "Legolas, you're a genius," he said, pulling away and heading towards his work bench. "I can create a key that one of you has to start the signal, and J can finish it."

Barton looked over at Coulson and shrugged. "I think he's back on track, Phil."

"I think so," Coulson agreed with a fond smile.


	135. Chapter 135

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been focusing on my novels and novellas quite a lot lately and have some new things published. My job takes a lot out of me and my writing time is next to nil right now. I'm taking a day away from my novels to update some fan fiction pieces. Thank you, as always, for your patience with this. I'm doing my best to get my WIPs wrapped up.
> 
> Here's the link to my author page on amazon. com.  
> http://www.amazon.com/Lexxie-Scott/e/B00BHME9QQ  
> I have books about dragons, Sherlock Holmes, ghosts, one horror novella, and arson investigation/murder mysteries. Take a look if you have a second.

"What else is going on, Clint?" Coulson asked while Tony was working on creating the new key to the suit.

"I'm under orders to stay in the Tower as much as possible, but when I'm out to be extra careful," Barton replied. "Nick's worried that I'm the real target for all of this."

"He's probably right," Coulson said. "You know how important you are to SHIELD in general, and to Nick and me especially. Should Erik be able to catch you, Clint, there is nothing that Nick and I wouldn't do to get you back. Erik would have an open field to ask for anything, and you know he would take it."

Tony looked up. "I thought that recreating the Avengers as a dark team was his goal," he said.

"That's probably part of it, although I can almost guarantee that Erik knows his dark team would be destroyed by a mixed team from SHIELD and Charles," Coulson said. "No, this makes more sense than anything else we've been able to come up with, although I still worry that he's trying to start a war for some twisted reason of his own."

"Nick's pushing to have my LMD finished fast," Clint said. "I think he's going to turn that loose and let it be captured by the other side. The programmers seem fairly sure that they can make it talk and act like me, but detonate when restrained to be questioned. I doubt that Erik would be stupid enough to be close to anyone during questioning, leaving the dirty work to his minions like he always does, but that would still be an unexpected blow to his organization, and might make him a little more cautious about kidnapping anyone from our side before the war is over with."

"Should I be worried I find that an awesomely cool idea?" Tony asked. "I should be worried. I know I should be, but that's so twisted that it's brilliant."

Barton grinned. "Nick's always thinking, Tony. You just never know what he's thinking until he puts his pieces in play," he said. "I do know that he's hoping we'll be able to capture Erik and as many of his lieutenants as possible once you have the cell ready. SHIELD has mutant cells in place, we can hold everyone but Magneto, and he knows it."

Tony pulled up a hologram of a room with what looked like a divided bubble in the middle of it. "This is the building where he was held last time. I don't know how the treated the glass, but it seemed to hold him well enough, right up until he had that extra iron to work with," he said. "This time, the cell itself is shatter proof. There's no metal involved, nothing that he'll be able to pull out and work with, and no way he'll be able to break out. We've also got it set up so his meals are delivered via a rope and pulley system, and the plumbing is all the same material as the cell. No visitors other than Charles, and he'll be extra careful whenever he goes in."

"So now we just have to get it built and lure Erik out into the open again," Coulson said. "Somehow I think that will be harder than anything else we're working on."

"Not if you have the right bait," Barton said with a grin.

"You are not setting yourself up as bait," Coulson said. "That is not even open to discussion, Clint."

"I wasn't planning to. I wouldn't do that to either of you," Barton said. "But what if Nick was willing to send his hologram out into public, to run an errand or something, and we let it leak that he's off-base? I think that Erik would risk it all to get the head of SHIELD."

"He's too smart to fall for that," Coulson said. "Nick is well-known for never going out in public unless he's in transit from one location to another, and everyone knows that. I don't think we have good bait, Clint. Not until your LMD is ready."

"The cell will be ready in four days," Tony said. "JARVIS, send that to fabrication and see what happens." He spun around so he was facing the other two. "There's no way that the LMD will be ready in that amount of time. We have to come up with something else that Erik wants, something that he'll risk everything to get back."

"There's always Roger," Coulson said. "Nick's been talking about moving him to a safe location. We could create a decoy car with Storm and Beast in it and see what happens."

Barton nodded. "That's not a bad idea, really," he said. "Those two are as resistant to Erik's powers as anyone we have on our teams right now. Logan won't work, we know that. What if we sent Nat along as a third? I know that takes a lot of bodies away from the Tower, but we'd be here with Tony, so it's possible."

"I'll head in and talk with Nick about it," Coulson said. "You two make sure you eat while I'm gone, and try not to blow up the lab more than once."

"We'll try, but keep in mind that Tony's our own mad genius, Phil. Sometimes the only way for him to get what he wants is to blow things up first."

"That's true, I do a fantastic explosion," Tony said.

"I know you do, Tony, but I don't know that blowing up the suit you're trying to work on is a good idea," Coulson said. "I know how hard it will be for you to get back into that suit, but the team needs Iron Man if there is even a small chance you're able to join us in battle. You are more than a body in battle, Tony. You see everything and you think quickly. If not for you, there would be no team because everyone would have died in a nuclear explosion. You're a hero, Tony, and you need to remember that no matter what."

Tony nodded and turned back to work on something. Barton made eye contact with his lover and nodded. He would be sure to get Tony to talk before too long. The last thing Tony needed was to feel uncomfortable with honest praise. They both knew that he was recovering from too many blows far too quickly, but he also needed to know how important he was. It was a fine balance for them to walk.


	136. Chapter 136

“Nick, Tony has the cell being fabricated and it’ll be ready sooner than we were expecting,” Coulson said, once he was in Fury’s office. “That means we need to figure out a safe way to lure Erik into our trap.”

“I’ve been thinking about that, Phil, and I haven’t been able to come up with a damn thing,” Fury sighed. “I’m not putting any of my people at risk, asking them to try and capture a madman like this. I’m not doubting my decision to let Clint go in and save those kids, but that would have been the best time and place to take Erik.”

“I made the call not to, Sir, because we didn’t have a place to keep him until the cell was ready,” Coulson said. “I shouldn’t have doubted Tony’s ability to meet the impossible deadlines he puts in place for himself, but I should have taken them into consideration.”

Fury nodded. “You made the call you felt was right at the time, and no one will question it,” he said. “I’ve got a call into Charles to ask him if he knows anything that would lead Erik out into the open, but he’s so busy with the kids that I don’t know when he’ll be able to get back to me. We might just have to play it by ear and hope for the best.”

“I’d rather not, Nick, if only because every time we hope for the best, we end up with the worst before the best can happen,” Coulson said. “In fact, I can’t think of a single instance of us hoping for the best that came out the way we hoped it would.”

“There are days I worry about you, Phil. This is one of them. What else is on your mind.”

“Guess I’m just worried about Tony. He’s recovering from the second rape, if that’s the best thing to call it, a lot slower than he did when Rogers attacked him,” Coulson sighed. “For some reason, having his tech compromised by the enemy has made him more afraid of everything than being tied up and violated in his lab ever did.”

“Doesn’t Stark always say that he and his tech are one?” Fury asked. “I don’t think any of us ever realized how true that actually is. He is healing though, right?”

“He’s letting us hug him again, which is a major step forward, yeah,” Coulson replied. “But he’s back to not really sleeping and it’s a battle every meal to get him to eat. We’re not going to give up, but I’m worried about him. So’s Clint, but he’s showing it differently than I am.”

“If I know my boy, he’s hovering like a mother hen, wanting to make everything better, but not sure he can, so he’s not really doing anything other than whatever Tony wants,” Fury said.

“Clint says that we all carry the bird metaphors too far,” Coulson said with a smile. “Tony keeps trying to catch Clint squawking when he objects to something.”

“Can’t think of anyone better to keep helping Tony heal than Clint,” Fury said. “He’s been there too many times to not know what Tony’s going through, even if the details are different.”

Coulson nodded. “Tony’s got a new suit going into fabrication, so I think he’s thinking about maybe coming out to join the team should it come to a fight,” he said. “Although I also know that stepping back into that armor is going to be the single hardest thing Tony has ever done in his life.”

“And there’s no way to help him past that, because putting the armor on in the Tower to work on it is going to be totally different than him going out to fight in it,” Fury agreed. “How’s he doing with the extra guard?”

“Logan and Storm have been great. Tony’s talked to them a couple of times over the video system, asking them questions about their fights with Erik and his people, and they haven’t pushed him to come out of his safe zones,” Coulson said. “I’m really happy to have both of them with us. I don’t know when, if ever, Tony will meet them in person, but even talking to them on the video is a huge step towards his final recovery from everything.”

“I didn’t know he’d managed that. I’m impressed,” Fury said. “He doesn’t have any ideas on how to catch Erik, does he?”

“No, or at least nothing that Clint and I haven’t either thought of or turned down because it won’t work,” Coulson sighed. “I think we’re going to have to rely on Charles and his people for the capture, no matter how long it takes to get it done.”

“The real question is if we have that much time,” Fury said. “Erik is going to make a move here soon, and I don’t want the WSC to be impacted any more than they already have been. I’m still not sure how the hell Erik managed to get one of his people in play like this, and I’m trying to work out how long she’s been there. This could answer a lot of my questions.”

“It could, including the nuke they sent at New York,” Coulson agreed. “Although that ended up being a good thing because it let us stop the invasion. Tony did that without knowing if he’d make it back or not, and that’s the first time he really showed his heart. Then Rogers had to attack him in his lab.”

“We still can’t kill him, no matter how much you might want to,” Fury said. “Just because I’ve got him secure doesn’t mean he won’t be continuing his sessions with the psych department once this is over and done with.”

“Are we ever going to be able to let him go again, Nick?”

“Probably not in our lifetime, no,” Fury said. He rubbed his face. “I don’t know, Phil. You know me. I don’t like unnecessary death, but I’m starting to wonder if I’m doing the right things where Rogers is concerned. Part of me is starting to think that killing him is the better option.”

“It might lead to more problems than keeping him alive does though, Nick.”

“It might also be enough to end the problems that keeping him alive is causing,” Fury said. “I don’t know, Phil. I really don’t. I’ll let you know when I hear from Charles. Once Tony has his new armor finished, ask him if he’ll come up to work with our AI pair up here. I think ANNIE and JUNIOR both need some adjustments.”

“I’ll tell him, and we’ll be up tomorrow,” Coulson said. “Given that’s how the enemy got into our system, I know Tony will want to be sure the babies are okay.”

“I didn’t need that mental image, Coulson.”

“Neither did I, Sir.”


	137. Chapter 137

“Tony, is there anything you want to talk about?” Clint asked, hopping up onto his table. It wasn’t in the same spot in the new lab, but it was close, and he still had a good view of everything.

“I don’t know where to start,” Tony replied, not looking up from his tablet. “I mean that seriously, Clint. There’s so much information swirling around in my brain right now that I don’t know what to do, or how to do it. What to do with it all. I feel like my head is about to explode and no one else knows how I feel.”

Barton nodded. “I do, but because of a different reason,” he said. “Tony, think about this for a second. When I’m in a perch watching over my team on any given op, what am I doing up there?”

“Protecting the team,” Tony said.

“Exactly, but how am I protecting the team?”

“We all know that you’ll shoot to keep us safe, Clint,” Tony said, glancing over.

Barton grinned. “You ever study snipers, Tony?” he asked.

“No, should I have?”

“Tony, when I’m in a perch, I’m running calculations in my head as fast as a human can,” Barton said. “Wind speed, direction, sun, angle, clouds. I’m watching people on the ground at a distance from me and have to figure out how close they are to each other and how fast any of them can move so I know when I need to worry about shooting to keep my team safe. I have a microsecond to decide to take a shot with a gun, less with my bow because the arrow doesn’t travel as fast as a bullet. My focus narrows down to my breathing, my weapon, and my team, but my brain is in constant overdrive. Why do you think I’m always so tired after sniping missions?”

Tony put his tablet down and moved to sit next to Barton on the table. He flinched, but didn’t pull away when Clint pulled him in close. “I never realized you were doing all of that,” he said. “How do you keep everything straight?”

“Practice and more practice,” Barton said. “In every single weather condition you can throw at me, I’ll be out in it shooting because I have to keep my body and mind in the sharpest condition possible. Now, I’m lucky enough to be able to shut it down when I’m not on missions, but you don’t have that luxury, do you?”

“No, I never have,” Tony said softly. “My mind is always working. Always going in about a hundred different directions at once and it’s impossible to shut it down. Completely impossible no matter what I try. Alcohol is the closest I’ve been able to find, and even that doesn’t work for more than a couple of hours, and the pain isn’t worth it. It’s not. I’ve never found anything that will help my brain shut down enough for me to not think. That’s why I always have so many projects going at once. I have to have something to be able to work on, or I feel like I’m going to go mad from the constant data flow in my head.”

Clint leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to Tony’s head. “I know, Tony. I know,” he said. “And it’s worse since the dual attacks because you’re having trouble dealing with those because your mind keeps pulling them back up again.”

“I never did remember everything from the rape,” Tony said. “Maybe that’s why I’m having so many problems this time. Because I do remember everything and I can’t get the images to stop popping up in my head no matter what I’m working on. I don’t know how to forget.”

“You never will, Tony,” Clint said with a small sigh. “All I can tell you is that, in time, you won’t think of it as frequently until the point where it will take something huge to cause you to remember everything.”

“When will that happen though?” Tony asked.

“It’s different for everyone. You were almost completely recovered from the rape when the fake Captain America attacked you,” Clint replied. “If you didn’t remember everything and you were almost healed, then I think we double the time for you to completely heal from the second attack. Give it a year, Tony. I know that seems like forever, but you’re letting Phil and me touch you again, and that’s a step forward again.”

Tony leaned against him. “Will I ever be able to go out in public again?”

“You mean like to go out and get food? I dunno, Tony. You won’t know until you give it a try,” Barton said. 

“What about as part of the team?” Tony asked. “I’m making a new suit, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to put it on and go out to fight. What if someone is able to take it over again?”

“Then they will have to deal with me, Sir,” JARVIS said. “I have completely analyzed the method the WTC used to obtain control of the previous design of suit and shall be able to keep them at bay long enough for you to arrive somewhere safe.”

“Even if that somewhere safe is in my perch,” Barton said. “You’ve got a new key to get in and out of the suit, Tony, and you’ve got JARVIS watching your back. I’ll be keeping an eye on you, and you saw how quick I was able to get to you last time. I can’t promise you complete safety out there, but I can promise you a safety net that will help you bounce.”

Tony looked over at him. “You ever walk the tightrope?” he asked.

“Nope. I learned my balance from shooting and missions,” Clint replied with a grin. “Tony, we’re heading into a nasty battle against people that are considered freaks because of what they can do. I don’t agree that they’re freaks, but they don’t seem to care who they hurt to get what they want, and that’s wrong. You know that I’ll kill to protect you. Once you find the courage inside your heart to get back into your suit, to become Iron Man again, then you’ll have every single support I can give you in this battle.”

“What do you think about an unmanned suit to go into battle too?” Tony asked.

“What do you mean, Tony?”

“I was thinking about making a suit that could fight on its own, or via remote link-up with JARVIS,” Tony said. “One that could take my place if I can’t be in battle with the team.”

“I don’t think it would hurt anything to have something like that around,” Clint said. “But you’d have to check with Nick to see what he thinks about letting an Iron Man suit into battle without its heart inside it.”

“Do you think he’d say no?”

Barton shrugged. “It’s Nick. Who knows with him,” he said. “But ask. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing his hologram in the next couple of days.”

“All right. I should get back to work,” Tony said.

“Not stopping you,” Barton said. He pressed another kiss to Tony’s temple. “You create, genius, and I’ll watch.”


End file.
